Arc of the Curve
by Mountain King
Summary: Some people are extraordinary. This can be both a blessing and a curse. For Alexis Castle it's been a secret she's kept all her life, now she's had to reveal that secret and it means that both her and her family learn just how extraordinary people can be.
1. Chapter 1

Arc of the Curve  
>Chapter One<p>

* * *

><p>Authors note:-<p>

I work some distance from where I live. As such I get about a hour between work and home to think. Honestly mostly I catch up on a rare commodity known as sleep, but every so often I have an idea. I plot out what I'm going to write. What works and what doesn't. In this hectic life I steal that hour as a moment of peace. Needless to say I often have crazy ideas that just have to work.

This is one of them. Truth is I've wanted to do something with the youngest Miss Castle for a while. As an actress Molly Quinn is under used as a foil to Nathan Fillion's lead and I think she needs gimmick of her own. Crossing Castle over with something seems to be the best way. It will give her the breathing room to get out of his shadow and give the rest of the cast something to bounce off. The recent episode that focused on her proved that better than I ever could but that all too fleeting glimpse demanded something else.

So how about this; Alexis is a Tomorrow Person. Just discovering the extent of her abilities she has to adapt to a world no one can prepare her for, alone and struggling does she deny herself and what she is in favour of a future she can understand or does she embrace it and become part of the future of humanity. That is if it is the future and not the past… or somewhere in between.

* * *

><p>Disclaimer:-<p>

Nether Castle nor the Tomorrow People belong to me they were created and belong to others. This is not done for profit and I earn no money from their use.

* * *

><p>Chapter One<p>

If you asked Alexis Castle what her first memory was she'd more than likely lie to you. Saying she didn't remember, or that it was playing with her dad in the park. The truth was her first memory was a promise. The promise her father made her when he first held her in his hands. She didn't understand the words at the time but she knew they were important. He promised never to leave her, to protect her, to keep her safe and to be the best father he possibly ever could.

He never said it, he never had to, but she heard it and it stuck with her. As she grew up she heard other things. Things she wasn't supposed to and things she couldn't. At first she thought everyone could, she was only a baby after all. But it didn't take long for her to realise the truth. She was different. It wasn't normal to hear other people's thoughts.

Alexis just had to look at a person and she instantly knew what they were thinking. Not just in words, but ideas, images and feelings. In a frantic second she already knew everything they wanted to say. When her dad first tried to teach her the alphabet he thought he had a prodigy, truth was she knew the whole thing as soon as he decided to teach her. Same with her teachers, whole lessons just downloaded into Alexis almost before they opened their mouths.

There were limits of course. She couldn't read memories, just what someone was thinking about at that moment and she needed to see who she was trying to read. Glass didn't matter, but walls did. Alexis could tell if someone was there on the other side of a door, sometimes even who they were, but not their thoughts. The worst thing though was not being able to turn it off.

Hearing people thoughts, their secrets, the lies they tell themselves. You couldn't hide things like that from a telepath, as much as either you or they might want. She knew when so called friends were talking behind her back, how people really felt. It was a burden she hated. With time and practice she found a way to muffle it, hide the thoughts even from herself. It was hard, but she could do it.

Even pretend, just for a little while, that she was like everyone else before it all came crashing back. So she learnt to live with it. Keep her own and everyone else's secrets locked away and move on.

Then she'd been kidnapped.

It was all to do with her grandfather. Her dad hadn't told her the whole story, not in words at least, but he'd gone over it so many times he might as well have. A spy, honest to god spy. Top secret, mission to kill, cold war era spy. Kept away from his family by orders and a need to protect them, but it hadn't been enough. An old enemy had found out somehow, had found her and tried to use her to get to him.

Locked up in that cage in Paris Alexis had tried everything, even her secret, to find out what was going on. When she learnt she nearly threw up with fear. It was only shock and her father's promise that kept her safe.

After that she made a decision. Even if it meant opening herself to all sorts she was going to listen in, keep all her ears open so to speak. It as disappointing when nothing happened for months.

Then she heard it, and nothing could ever be the same again.

* * *

><p>Alexis wasn't angry. She was disappointed. She liked Pi, he was a good guy, funny, clever and liked her. A lot more than he realised and she liked him. Then her stupid dad had to go and be a child again. He was a writer for god's sake he should have known how much the wrong word could hurt.<p>

But no, he just opened his mouth and said the single most stupid thing he could have. She was getting angry just thinking about it. How Detective Beckett put up with him sometimes even she didn't know.

Alexis didn't like being disappointed and she didn't like this wall that had grown between her and her father because of it. Him being both her father and male meant she would have to make the first move, other wise the situation would last for weeks and he'd put his foot in his mouth half way through apologising. Sometimes that was fun but this was already painful.

Getting out of the taxi she paid the driver and for once didn't have to ignore the sexist comment he was thinking. Mostly because he was gay and more envious of the way her jacket fitted, but she took it as a compliment. She was about half a block from the 12th precinct, not too far away but not too close. Alexis tried to hide her nerves and headed to the building. As she did she opened herself up to the world around her.

Brief flickers of thoughts pasted over her. Life in all it's myriad forms, nervous scared, exited, angry. Little things, big things. Even stupid things that only seemed to effect petty little people with little imagination. Shaking her head Alexis realised that was exactly what she was doing with this whole argument with her father, blowing a small irritation all out of proportion.

Then she heard it. Just for a moment she touched something dark, something evil. Anticipation, eagerness, a cruel joke. *Not a bad day's work. If I do say so myself.* That much came through clear.

On the edge of her nerves Alexis pretended to check her Phone, all the while searching for the source. Out of the corner of her eye she saw them, a police uniform standing out from the crowd but not someone she recognised from the 12th. As they walked away Alexis focussed on them, as hard as she could before they were out of sight.

When she had finished Alexis knew that her secret was about to come out.

* * *

><p>Kate looked around the office. She was back and for the first time in a long time felt good about her job again. She was a detective, that meant solving crimes and keeping people safe not sneaking around in the background completing assignments that had been deemed for the greater good.<p>

It made taking Bracken down harder, and she didn't have the pay check, but it was for the best. Looking over the coffee machine she saw Castle talking with Ryan and Espo. Probably getting ready for some wild bachelor party. Lanie was planning something for her along with Castle's mother that promised to be crazy, inappropriate and embarrassing. Whatever they were planning she didn't want to know.

Letting a smile come to her face she turned around and almost ran straight into Alexis. A nervous looking Alexis. She hadn't seen the young woman in a few days. She'd had a falling out with her father about her boyfriend. Castle hadn't meant to hurt anyone's feelings, just opened his mouth without thinking and it came out wrong. 'Alexis, what are you doing here?' She asked hopefully.

'I… I came to talk with my dad, but that's not important right now.' She looked paler than usual and kept glancing back to the situation room.

'What's wrong.' she asked her soon to be step-daughter.

The red head looked worried, more worried than she should be about anything. Don't answer your phone, please just don't answer your phone.' she insisted urgently

Kate put her coffee down. 'Alexis, sweetie. Calm down, tell me what's wrong and why I can't answer my phone.'

Alexis took a breath. 'There's two bricks worth of C4 strapped to the underside of your desk. Enough to destroy the whole precinct. The trigger is on your phone.' Kate could only stare at the young woman. 'You pick up the receiver and it goes off. They're going to call in a few minutes.'

'How do you know this!' Kate whispered urgently, casting her own worried look at her desk

'I just do, alright.' Alexis hissed. 'Can you see the two wires coming out of the side.' She didn't point, just nod in the right direction. Kate could see them they trailed out, down the side and under the desk. 'You have to tell everyone! Quickly, but quietly. They're outside in that cafe just round the corner.'

'Alexis…'

'Detective, Kate. I promise I'll tell you later, but first bomb!'

The girl was right. 'I'm going to hold you to that. Stay here.' Against all her instincts which were screaming to her to raise an alarm Kate strode out of the recreation room, right to her desk and quietly looked underneath. Just like Alexis had described two blocks of something marked C4 and a sealed box that almost screamed detonator. Checking her chair incase there was something both of them had missed Kate sat down and waved her team over.

'Everything okay Beckett?' Espo asked as she caught his eye.

'What you know about high explosives?'

The latino detective frowned. 'Enough to to be caught anywhere near them when they go off. Why?'

'There's a couple of bricks of C4 stuck under my desk.' She said casually 'I think they're already armed.'

The three of them went a pale as ghosts. 'You're kidding.' Ryan whispered.

'Nope. Check out the wires from the phone.' Kate nodded. 'Espo get bomb disposal, keep it on the QT. We don't know who did this, they might be watching. Ryan, get Gates. Tell her the same. Castle you stay here and don't touch that phone.'

Castle, showing a bravery she almost couldn't believe sat in his usual chair right next to her. 'So Boom.'

'Boom.' She agreed, suddenly regretting not picking up her coffee.

Castle looked around the precinct and took a calming breath. 'You know, one of these days the whole bomb thing is going to get old.'

'Really?'

'Well there was that time your apartment blew up, that dirty nuke I defused, the whole pressure plate thing.' he listed off

'Don't forget that time you called me from a bank…'

'Yeah. like I said got to get old some time.'

'Like now?' She asked.

Castle rested an elbow on the desk and looked at her with those eyes of his. 'I can safely say that knowing you, Kate Beckett, nothing in my life will ever get old.'

'Not even us?' she asked.

'Oh we might get old.' he pulled back the grin plastered on his face like that of a five year old 'But never in sprit.'

'I love you.' she admitted. Every time she did, even to herself her heart skipped a beat.

Castle's smile became a smirk. 'I know.'

Kate laughed. 'Stop quoting Star Wars and kiss me.'

'If you insist, your worship.' he agreed, but he never got a chance to. Gates was there in an instant to snap them back to the situation at hand.

'Detective, this better be one hell of a prank.' She snapped, irritated and not just a little worried.

'No joke sir.' Carefully Kate pushed her chair back and let the captain investigate. After a moment she came back up. 'I'm ordering a full evacuation.' She declared just in time for the phone to ring.

The three of them, Kate, the captain and Castle healed their breath. Any second now the detonator could engage. The military grade explosives would explode. The first and last thing any of them would know of it would be a fireball and splinters of wood flying everywhere.

The phone rang and rang again. No one dared answer it. The seconds, counted by the insistent ringing, ticked on until eventually it stopped. Collectively they let out a breath Kate hadn't realised anyone was holding.

'Maybe they think that you're not in.' Castle suggested.

'Then we're evacuating. Everyone out, now.'

'We can't do that.' Kate disagreed with her captain. 'What if someone is watching the door? There's any number of reasons why I wouldn't answer the phone but if there is someone outside and they see a full evac….'

'They might just pull the trigger remotely for the hell of it.' Castle finished. 'Esposito should have the disposal crew by now. That means they are on their way. Hopefully quietly, you sure they're watching?'

Kate nodded, she couldn't even begin to explain how Alexis knew about the bomb but she could think of an explanation. 'This person, whoever they are, got a bomb into a police precinct without anyone noticing. That means they were either lucky or good. I'm betting on good, that means they know enough to be sure. Then there's the trigger. I have to be at the phone to answer it, they want me here when the bomb goes off and that means ground zero.'

'Fine work detective.' Gates nodded. 'I'm glad to see you haven't lost any of your instincts. Still I'm ordering all personnel to the ground floor. That includes both you and Mr Castle. If there is a remote to that thing its best if we are all ready to evacuate the instant it is necessary.'

Kate knew it was the best course of action and stood up, making doubly sure she didn't knock the desk.

* * *

><p>Richard helped usher the officers down the stairs. He knew he had to be clam, collected and appear to have some form of authority. Luckily most of the officers knew him and that he wouldn't be remotely serious unless there was a real problem. six years now he'd worked at the precinct and that seemed to have earned him some respect.<p>

That wasn't an exaggeration. As much as he and everyone else would deny it he had worked there. If anything it was more rewarding than writing. As an author he got reviews, plaudits, money and even women, but there was something about turning his mind to something that mattered in the end of the day that he couldn't turn his back on.

At first it was just research, then it was to be closer to Beckett and now. Now he understood the real reason people chose to be police officers. It wasn't the uniform, the ego, or the image. It certainly was't the money. It was the idea that they had made a difference. Kate had showed him that. Had showed him just what he was missing all these years. A reason, a goal. He'd embraced that with everything. Saving lives had become important to him, nearly as important as Kate and Alexis.

This was the life he wanted, and needed. He wasn't going to give this up for anything.

Looking up and across to the other exit he stopped. Alexis was there, taking to Beckett. All other thoughts left him, two of the three most important women in his life were within range of a bomb and could be hurt. Whatever control he had fled and he ran over to them. 'Alexis! What? How? Where did you…'

'I came to talk.' she told him, 'but things got in the way.'

'You, you know whats happening?'

The two of them nodded in a way that should have made him nervous. As it was he ignored it. 'Alexis, get downstairs now! We can talk later.'

'Oh yes.' she agreed.

'I think we all have a lot to talk about.' Kate added.

End Chapter One


	2. Chapter 2

Arc of the Curve  
>Chapter Two<p>

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><p>Kate watched with baited breath as the Captain in charge of the disposal team pulled back from her desk. He was dressed head to toe in blast armour, making him look like a giant blue hockey player. She wasn't sure what it would do with that much explosives that close, but sometimes procedure got in the way more than helped. Taking off the vizor he looked to his team that were at what was supposed to be a safe distance and nodded. They collectively winced back. The Captain waddled his way over to them and two of his team came over to help him out of the outfit. 'Which one of you is Beckett?' He asked.<p>

'Here.' Kate held up her hand. 'what can you tell me?'

'Us, tell us.' Castle poked in. He hadn't left, as sweet as it was she still worried about him. At least they'd been able to get Alexis out, despite her insistence that she could help.

'Well whoever you pissed off detective, please post it on the message board. That way we can all stay very far away.' He pulled off the armoured collar and handed to one of the officers. 'This is not a pretty one. Whoever set this beast up were either a twisted professional, or an amateur that's got more way more time on their hands that I like.'

Castle's eyebrows threatened to escape his forehead as he looked over at the disposal team who hadn't moved. 'I take it you're not going to even try to defuse it?'

'That's impossible. It's already primed and armed. Truth is it could go off any second and take most of the building with it. They rigged the phone as a dead-man's switch. You see right now the circuit's complete. Lift the handset. Boom. Brake that circuit any other way. Boom. They also wired the detonator's casing into the same circuit. Tamper with the detonator or it's casing, you get boom.'

'Can't you bypass the phone?' Kate asked.

'Nope, phone's the power source for the bomb. Even better than that, the detonator is cross wired into the C4. Try to separate them I'll bet good money a back up charge goes off. That would go off like an antipersonnel mine, sending bits of desk out like shrapnel. Again if they were playing military grade toys that's going to be enough to kill you and make for a real bad day for the poor sod trying to defuse Frankenstein over there.'

'Frankenstein?'

'Yeah, that bomb's made up of so many pieces it's a minor miracle it hasn't already blown up. If I had to guess I'd say it was deliberate. To stop us toying with it. Like I said, amateur with too much time or twisted expert. Either way makes for a bad day.'

Kate looked to Castle, this was bad. Like he had said earlier they'd dealt with bombers before. Mad men, domestic terrorists, even publicity hungry social campaigns, never a professional hit on themselves. 'So what do we do?' she asked.

Kate caught a movement out of the corner of her eye, it was Alexis. She'd sneaked back in when no one was looking, probably worried about her father.

'If it was anywhere else I'd suggest a contained explosion, but we can't be sure the charge won't go up. The only thing I can suggest is we build a blast box around your desk. Maybe freeze the device with liquid nitrogen, try to reduce the reaction. Thing is that will take time. Time, again, I'd bet we don't have. Right now our only viable option is evacuate…'

'You know who did this, don't you.' Alexis interrupted.

'Alexis! What are you still doing here?' Castle half shouted. He hadn't seen his daughter sneak up on him. The Captain waved over one of the uniforms that were supposed to be securing the doors.

'Sorry Miss, but this is a secure area…' he began

Alexis, on the other hand, was persistent. 'But you know who did this.' She insisted. Kate's gut told her the she was right, he'd made a hell of a lot of guesses and he sounded very sure about all of them. Then there was the way he'd pushed through all his subordinates and come down to this one personally. All added up to something personal for the captain and Kate said as much.

'No. No I don't.' he snapped back. 'Okay, it's a lot like the work of a bomber I knew twelve, thirteen years ago. The…' he looked between the three of them, the word bitch hung in the air. before he started again. 'She wasn't very nice. Certified genius when it comes to things that go bang. She loved loud showy little presents, like this one. Loved showing off just how creative she could be. This has all her fingerprints, or would if she ever left any.'

'So why can't it be her?' Castle asked.

'Because she's dead. She killed herself when… When we were closing in on her.' The Captain turned back to his team and started barking orders.

'There's nothing more we can do here.' Captain Gates told them as she got closer. 'Detective Beckett, take Mr Castle and his daughter downstairs and be prepared to evacuate as soon as they give the signal.'

'What about you?'

'My Precinct, my ship detective and I'm still the Captain.' With that Gates set her shoulders and walked back into her office.

'What are you still doing here Alexis?' Castle asked his daughter now that they had a second. 'The bomb…'

'Could explode.' She finished. 'and you and Detective Beckett are in just as much danger as me. Why don't you go?'

Castle froze. 'I can't.' he admitted after a long moment.

Alexis smiled sadly. 'Neither can I.'

'Oh no.' Kate shook her head. 'You're not putting this on me.'

'We're family, it's on all of us.' Alexis grinned. Then Beckett's cell rang.

It was loud, unnaturally loud. The whole precinct, as it was six bomb disposal officers and Kate's usual team, turned to her. As it rang again, and again. Kate pulled it out and looked at the number, it wasn't one she recognised. She looked around and saw everyone was holding their breath, everyone but the college student. 'Speaker.' Alexis mouthed.

For a moment Kate didn't know what to do, but there was something in the young woman's eye. Something that told Kate what she said was important. Tapping the speaker she answered; 'Beckett.'

'You're a difficult person to get in touch with Detective.' A woman's voice said. 'I've called and called, but you're never at your desk.'

'What can I say, I have an aversion to high explosives. They make me nervous.' She quipped.

'But I do hope you're still in the building… I went to a lot of trouble, even came back to this godforsaken hell you call New York, for you. I'd hate for it to have been for nothing.'

'Sorry to disappoint, I slept in late this morning.' Kate bluffed, but before she could say anything more her phone was ripped from her hand by the bomb disposal Captain

'Toni! I knew it was you! I knew it!'

'Rodger?' The voice on the other end sounded shocked. 'My god, Rodger. They still have you chasing rainbows?'

'Yeah, and I just found my pot of gold. How the hell did you survive, I saw you explode.' The Captain, Rodger, looked angry, more than that he looked positively pissed.

'Oh sweetheart, that was the thing about our relationship. Nothing was ever what it seemed.'

Rodger either didn't care or had forgotten he wasn't alone. 'You bitch! I swear I'm going to hunt you down and toss your ass in the deepest darkest prison I can find.'

'I still love you too, Rodger. That's why I'll give you to the count of ten.' She announced. 'One.'

Throwing the phone into a corner, where it shattered into a thousand pieces Rodger turned to his team. 'Haul ass! Everyone out, NOW!'

Kate didn't need to be told twice, the count in her head had already reached two. Between them Castle and Kate grabbed Alexis and hauled her down the fire escape.

Three.

Taking the steps three at a time they ran, not giving a damn about twisted or broken ankles.

Four

Kate's mind raced; how many floors did they have to clear to get out? How many were above them ready to come down? How big was the blast going to be?

Five.

Behind them were Ryan, Esposito, Rodger and a couple of officers. Captain Gates and the rest of them must have taken the other stairs. No one was stupid enough to take the lift.

Six.

What floor were they on? Second, first, Ground? What if they over shot, found themselves in the basement with hundreds of tons of building about to trap them there. Entombed within the morgue, just waiting for the air to run out?

Seven.

No, they were on the ground floor. Alexis wasn't fighting them, instead letting herself be carried. They could make it.

Eight.

'Get out! Everyone out!' Castle shouted

'You heard the man! Run!' someone else shouted .The doors were there, Kate could see them filling with people.

Nine.

The lobby was full of people. Officers from the whole precinct had been packed down there, waiting just for this moment. They knew what was coming. The question was could they make it before…

Ten.

* * *

><p>'Richard, Alexis, Kate!' Gram's threw herself at the three of them. 'My god, are you all alright? No one hurt? Come come sit down. I'll get you all some tea!' You didn't have to be psychic to tell that Martha Rodgers was worried. That was the thing with Alexis's Grandmother, she let her heart rule her and trusted her instincts and as good as actress as she was she never bothered to even try and hide that.<p>

'Fine, we're all fine mother.' Alexis's dad tried to push her away. The truth was they were covered in dust and had any number of little cuts and bruises between them, but other than that they were fine. In fact there were no real injuries to speak off.

The department had been quietly evacuated one or two officers at a time before the explosion and Alexis was certain that whoever Toni, the bomber, was she'd counted very slowly. Giving enough time for everyone to get clear.

What they didn't know was why. Why she gave them a warning and why plant a bomb in the first place. 'Here, let me get you some tea to clam you down…'

'No Martha, it's alright.' Detective Beckett said, 'We'll be fine.'

But Alexis's grandmother was going at full steam and it was impossible to stop her now. 'No wait, I know just the thing.' She headed towards the drinks cabinet.

'Gram's, Detective Beckett's on duty. So's dad, technically.' Alexis told her. 'And I'm… Helping.' She finished lamely.

'Helping?' Both Gram's and dad asked at once and Alexis winced. This was it, this was the time they found out that she'd been lying to them for years, all her life…

'Alexis saw someone suspicious leaving the precinct.' Detective Beckett jumped in. 'I didn't want her caught up in the investigation until we were sure she actually saw something.'

'You saw? Alexis why didn't you say anything?'

'She did, to me.' Beckett announced, saving her again.

It was then that Alexis made a decision. She knew it was going to come out, her powers, her dark little secret and she was going to need help when facing her father. 'Can… Can I talk to Detective Beckett alone dad? I need… I just need to talk to her first.'

Her father looked back and forth for a moment and Alexis tried to shy away from his thoughts. He was confused, scared and almost overwhelmed by the urge to protect her. At the same time he was proud, so very proud of her it almost made Alexis cry.

He wanted her safe, but he trusted Beckett. Some dim part of his mind knew this was a big step and that both of them would judge him on his decision, but he dismissed that. It didn't matter what anyone thought of him along as both Alexis and Beckett were safe.

'Okay. I'll try to get hold of Espo and Ryan, see what they're digging up. Then I'll call Gates, see what the game plan is.'

'And I'll come with you.' Gram's said standing close to Alexis, 'Moral support.' It was ironic that while her overprotective father was willing to give her space but her grandmother wasn't

'Gram's, I'll be alright. It's nothing dangerous, I don't think I'd even be able to identify them.' Alexis reassured her. 'I'm sure there's something more important for you to do.'

Gram's took Alexis's face in both hands. 'There is nothing more important than you and Richard.' She said.

'Martha, it will be alright. I promise.' With Detective Beckett's reassurance and her father's prodding Alexis was able to escape to her old room, Beckett right behind her.

Once inside Beckett opened up with the one question that had been on her mind since coming into the loft. 'Alright Alexis how the hell did you know about the bomb? How could you see the wires from across the bullpen?'

She shook her head. 'I didn't see the wires, it was like you said I did really see someone outside the precinct.' Alexis took a deep breath and tried to shut out the thoughts coming from the Detective. 'I, I saw someone outside the Precinct when I was coming to talk with dad. They were dressed in a police uniform, but I didn't recognised them.'

'And that tipped you of that there was bomb at my desk? They could have just been a new transfer, dropping off a suspect, or anyone of more than a hundred cops just passing through.'

'They, they didn't feel right, I just knew something was wrong so I… So I read their mind.'

Detective Beckett blinked hard at that, utter disbelief flashed through her thoughts. 'You read their mind? Just like that?'

'Kinda. I've always been able to do it. It's like I have this extra ear and I can direct it wherever I want. When I read her mind I knew what she was planning, I had to stop her and the only way I could do that was warn you not to answer your phone.'

Detective Beckett looked at Alexis sceptically. 'You expect me to believe that you can just read people's minds and this is a skill you've never told anyone about? Alexis, you're a terrible lier but even you can come up with something better than that.'

Closing her eyes Alexis sighed. 'I can prove it.'

'How, by reading my mind now? What are you going to do, pick numbers out of my head or tell me my favourite colour is blue?'

'It's red really, and you were thinking of the number six.' Alexis told her off hand. The detective looked at her for a moment and thought of something else. Alexis really tried not to blush, but it was one of those things she really didn't want to know about. 'No way.' She burst out 'I don't want to even know that! Really?'

'You don't!' Beckett gasped. 'You can't know…'

'The most romantic thing my dad has ever done was sneaking a burger and a couple of beers in to the precinct under Gate's nose because he felt guilty about not being there and helping with the paperwork?'

'He didn't feel guilty…'

'Not until you made him.' Alexis pressed. 'That, that was romantic?'

'For your father, yes. Yes it was.' The Detective took a deep breath to calm herself down. 'Let's say I believe you…'

'Which you're beginning to.'

'… which I might be beginning to. You say you had a feeling. What sort of a feeling?'

Alexis knew the detective was stubbornly refusing to accept what she was telling her. She was looking for a more rational explanation, it was a shame Alexis couldn't give her one.

* * *

><p>Adrian looked up over the beach and out on to the sea before looking down at his sketch. It was picture perfect as usual. The style could do with some more work, but one look and you'd be able to tell exactly where he was sitting when he drew it.<p>

Flicking the paper to the back of the sketchbook he started again, this time not the beach but elsewhere. It was a little trick of his, he'd close his eyes, listen to the wind and just draw. Taking a breath he began.

Sat there for a few minutes you could think he was asleep, but his hands were still moving. Drawing on their accord. Eventually Adrian stopped and looked down. He'd drawn a city, a vast open city with skyscrapers reaching out into the clouds. A giant park in the middle of the city's meticulous grid layout. Rivers flowing in around and through it with planes and cars zooming about on their little jobs like ant's running from colony to colony.

One of his friends sat down next to him. 'You alright?' she asked idly.

'Yeah, sure. I guess.' Adrian shrugged.

She smiled and pointed at his drawing. 'New York right. You've been wandering again?'

He looked at the picture and couldn't shrug off the sense of foreboding this time. 'Something big just happened Jade. Something there, in New York.'

'I know, I felt it too.' The older tomorrow person agreed. 'You sure it was there?'

'Yes, only I don't know what.'

For a moment they both looked out to sea, in the direction of America and New York. 'Let it be for now.' Jade suggested. 'We can talk to the others later, when we know more.' She stood up and offered Adrian a hand. 'Right now though Megabyte is trying to make dinner. So either we help him…'

'Or you'll be eating take out again. Have either of you ever even tried to learn how to cook?'

'We did, then we found you!' She laughed and ruffled his hair. 'Come on.' She teleported back to her home. With a sigh Adrian followed, hoping Megabyte hadn't burnt the food to the bottom of the pan again.

End Chapter Two


	3. Chapter 3

Arc of the Curve  
>Chapter Three<p>

Javier Esposito was not in a good mood. There were somethings a honest cop shouldn't have to do, right at the top of that list was tailing another cop. As far as he was concerned it didn't matter what devision, precinct or rank you had you were one of the good guys.

Sure cops had gone bad, he'd met some first hand, but these people had earned the benefit of the doubt. Captain Rodger Nelson was one of those guys that earned it and then some. He'd known him for a good few years now, reputation still had him as one of the best bomb people in the city. They hadn't worked together since his days in the 54th, but he wasn't going to doubt that.

Right now it was that sort of trust Nelson needed, before the dust had even cleared he'd snapped off orders to his men, digging up twelve year old case files on an Antonia Hennesly. Internal affairs, vultures that they were, swooped in and started asking all sorts of odd questions of the man.

Beckett and Castle had gone by then, leaving him and Ryan to the clean up as usual. Alright, this time clean up involved a huge pile of rubble that used to be their work place but still. After the first round of questions internal affairs pulled Nelson off to their offices. Gates was tied up with the commissioner, a dozen officials and the press so they took the initiative and the two detectives ran for their car.

'So who you think did this?' Ryan asked, breaking the silence

Javier risked a look at his partner. 'Think about it, they'd need resources, to be utterly ruthless and willing to kill a building full of cops to get toBeckett.'

'Bracken?'

'Bracken.'

The car they were following pulled up to Internal Affaires's main office in New York. Javier drove right on past and watched in the rear view mirror as Nelson was escorted inside. Javier headed down the next street and pulled up. 'Right you keep an eye on the door. I'll turn around and find somewhere to park.'

'What's the plan.'

'Rodger in there has answers and you saw his face. I'm betting he'll talk to us a lot better than those in there.'

Ryan nodded and opened the door, 'Call Beckett, tell her where we are.'

'Bro, her phone's under what's left of the precinct.'

'Then call Castle.' His partner sighed before jogging off to the offices they'd just passed.

* * *

><p>Kate looked at the young woman carefully, she never thought she'd have to interrogate Alexis, but now was as good a time as any. 'Alexis, are you protecting someone. A friend, their family? I promise whatever you tell me won't be on record.'<p>

'I read the mind of the person who planted the bomb.' She repeated. 'That's how I knew what was going to happen.'

'That's impossible, now I don't know how you did that trick but…'

'Have you got a quarter?' She interrupted

That wasn't something Kate expected to hear. 'What do you need one for?'

Alexis gave her a soft, little smile. Like there was a huge joke in the question. 'You want proof. Proof I'm not lying or making stuff up. I can read your mind and I need a quarter to do so.'

Kate fished one out of her pocket. 'Let me guess, I flip the coin and you tell me if it's heads or tails.' Alexis nodded and then closed her eyes. 'What no blind fold?'

'Do I need one?' she asked, screwing her eyes shut tight. Shrugging Kate flipped the quarter high in the air. Out of the corner of her eye she caught it and checked. 'Heads.' Alexis announced as soon as Kate knew herself.

'Lets try that again.' Kate announced. 'This time with a blindfold.' She found a scarf hung behind Alexis's door and wrapped it around the red head's eyes. When she was sure the teenager couldn't see Kate flipped the coin again. It was tails this time, and Alexis got it right again.

The odds were still in Kate's favour though. 'Three out of five.' she said. Alexis folded her arms and waited. She got the third, fourth and fifth guesses right too. 'Let me guess, something you cooked up with your father. Trick coin he slipped me and you've got a magnet somewhere.'

'Use a different coin if you want.' Alexis suggested. 'But I am reading your mind.'

Kate clenched the traitorous coin in one hand. 'Okay, one more time. Call.'

'It's still in your right hand.' Alexis sighed.

'There has to be a explanation…' She jammed the coin back in her pocket.

'There is, I've given it you.'

'You've told me your psychic, that you read people's minds. Excuse me for wanting something more rational.' Kate threw up her hands.

'I've spent my life blocking it out.' Alexis admitted softly, taking the blindfold off. 'It's not been easy, but I've done it, but after that kidnaping and Paris thing I… I started using my… my powers.'

Kate called on her training and experience, looking for the slightest tell, those brief hesitations, the flicker of the eyes that told you that someone was lying, but there was nothing. Nothing to say Alexis didn't believe what she was saying. Taking the younger woman's hands Kate tried one last time. 'I understand, and I guess this must seem very real to you, but it's not possible. People see things, put them together subconsciously. We call it intuition and it can seem like you're reading minds. Your father and I, when we have the same idea at the same time it's almost as if we are reading each other's thoughts…'

Tears standing in her eyes Alexis let out a long breath. 'Pick a number.'

'I'm not going to do that.'

'Seven.' Alexis shook her head, 'That's what you thought, before you decided not to.' She was right, somehow. 'You want, you need a rational explanation because that is who you are, you're a detective. You sift though mountains of facts and evidence to find proof, motive, something to explain the world and what happens in it. This time it points to something that you thought was impossible and you can't accept it.'

Kate decided to try a different tactic. 'I'm not saying that it couldn't be possible, but right now it's far more likely that it's not.'

'Why?' Alexis almost pleaded. 'Why would I try and trick you, now of all times? Why would I be convinced I read peoples minds? Why would it be easier to explain that I had a hunch and I'm just confused? If it is or could be possible doesn't it make more sense that I'm telling the truth.'

'Not with mind reading.' Kate pointed out.

'But you just admitted that it could be possible.'

Kate grinned 'Could doesn't mean is.'

Before Alexis could answer there was a knock on the door. It was Castle, 'Guys, sorry to interrupt female bonding time, but that was Esposito on the phone. He needs us at the Internal Affairs office in the city.'

'Internal Affairs?' Kate blinked. 'Tell them we'll be right there.' She turned to Alexis.

'Kate.' the teenager put a hand on her shoulder. It was the first time the detective could remember her say her first name. 'I've told you, because… because I can help. Think about it, I mean it won't do much good in court, but I can help.'

'We'll see.' She promised, hoping, for once, her instincts were wrong.

* * *

><p>The phone rang and the woman known as Toni looked at the caller id. It was blocked, hardly surprising given her line of work, but it wasn't a good sign. 'Go.' she answered.<p>

'You should know who this is.' The voice of her most recent employer came from the other end.

'I do.' Toni was an assassin, and damn good at it. Usually. But this guy scared even her. 'There's been a problem.'

'Yes, I know. It's all over the news.' he growled

Toni pulled her self straight, even if he couldn't see her. 'You wanted it loud, you wanted it public. You wanted the attention.'

'I wanted her dead. I wanted all of them dead.' he snapped. 'Now what are we going to do about it?'

'I'm a professional, sir.' She sneered. 'I took the job, I'm going to finish it. This time my way. Quietly and effectively.'

* * *

><p>Kate pulled up outside the Internal Affairs office. 'Psychic?' Castle asked for what felt like the hundredth time.<p>

'That was the trick. You telling me you had nothing to do with it?'

'Nothing, it's a good one, but I didn't do it.' he admitted.

'And you're sure you can't think of any time she tried it on you? or…' She left it hanging. Kate was getting desperate now, she really needed a rational explanation and soon.

Castle frowned for a moment. 'You're not kidding are you?'

'No, I'm not.' Just in front of them a taxi pulled up and parked.

'I don't know what to tell you… Alexis?' Castle gasped and almost flew out of the car. Kate looked and saw that the redhead pay the taxi\s driver. Getting out of her car she she heard Castle ask his daughter:- 'What are you doing here?'

'I followed you. Look dad I can help.'

'Because you're psychic?'

The look she gave Kate wasn't one of betrayal, but acceptance 'Yes and I can prove it.' Kate watched as Alexis closed her eyes and gently shook her head. 'Detective Ryan is on the phone to his wife and Esposito just got a message from Captain Gates. She's co-ordinating things at the fourth precinct and fielding calls so you four can get on the case.' She said with her eyes still closed. 'She want's you and detective Beckett to find out what you can from Rodger Nelson, the bomb disposal captain, while Esposito checks the off site backup of the Twelfth's security footage. Ryan's supposed to help, but Esposito is going to cover for him as he gets home to check on Jenny. While he's doing that Esposito is going to call Dr Parish and make sure she's alright.'

Castle, who looked as close to dying from shock as Kate had ever seen, whipped his head back and forth. 'How… Really?' He gaped.

Alexis shrugged, 'Sorry.'

'What about?' Espo asked as he walked up to them. Ryan was still on his phone, but from the snippets she heard and Alexis's… insight, Kate could tell he was talking to Jenny.

'Nothing. What's the story?' she asked, only to have him repeat what Alexis had already told them. Castle's face lit up like he was a four year old in a candy shop. Either he'd bought Alexis's explanation or it was all part of some elaborate game they were playing on her.

'Right, any ideas.'

'Dad has one.' Alexis pointed out. 'It's not bad, but I think we should wait.'

Ryan hung up his phone. 'Really, what is it?'

'Well, I was thinking. We need a new bullpen, I have a secret underground room…'

'Castle, we're not turning the hidden basement of the Old Haunt into a Precinct.'

The writer, come amateur detective gave her a puppy dog look. 'Come on, why not?'

'Gates would never go for it.' Kate explained. 'Right then, Alexis, you want to help?'

'No.'

Kate blinked. 'I thought you said…'

The girl shook her head. 'Look, I know what you were going to ask and the answer is no. I'm not the one that should tell you that.'

'Then…'

'Ask him.' She pointed to the dark skinned Captain as he came out of the offices. With a dark glance at her Kate jogged up to him. 'Captain Nelson?'

'Not for much longer.' he growled back.

She didn't catch that. 'Captain?'

'They suspended me, pending a full investigation. God damn it.'

Kate looked around at her team, they looked just as lost as she felt. All except Alexis. 'Captain.' The girl said. 'If we're going to solve this and stop whoever did it we need your help.'

'Just who the hell are you kid?'

'She's with us, and now so are you.' Kate defended her. 'We need to know everything you do about the bomber if we're going to find them. Internal affairs aren't interested in her, just how to blame you. If anyone is going to actually help solve this thing it's you.'

He looked back and forth. 'Right, first things first, Toni probably has nothing against you Detective. She's a professional, so instead of looking at her I'd look to enemies. Ones that want you and anyone near you a smear and has deep pockets.'

'It's a short list.' Ryan said. He was right, only one name stood out.

'The thing is evidence.' Kate agreed, 'And this Toni might just be it. Espo, you and Ryan get to the back-ups and while you're there try to dig up anything you can on…'

'Antonia Hennesly' Nelson supplied.

'Will do.'

'While you tell us everything you know about this bomber for hire. Starting with how you know her.'

Nelson snorted. 'I know her, Detective, for the same reason Internal Affairs want's my badge. I was married to the bitch.'

* * *

><p>Lehane Walker was a records keeper at the office. Mid-level. It was her job to oversee the archives of open, or otherwise unsolved case files. It was boring, but it paid the bills and she was good at it.<p>

She'd worked at NYPD's internal affairs office long enough to be part of the furniture, which was just how she liked it. So when she saw the name of the file requested she hand delivered it to the detectives in charge of the new investigation, asks them if there was anything else they needed and quietly slipped to the parking garage under the new wing.

Lehane had a second job, usually there wasn't much to that one. This was, in fact, the first time anything like this had ever happened. She had to report it, but to who. Her other boss? Not a chance, the guy was big on assigning blame, not getting results. Calmly, not to draw attention to herself she sat in her car and only then let her hands shake. This was bad, very bad.

There was only one person that would know how to deal with this, he was still considered a bit too much of a maverick, but that was exactly what was needed. Punching in the number on her phone she waited.

'Hello Joe's.' someone answered. Behind them she could hear a band tuning up in the background.

'Is Joe there, it's… its an old friend.' she replied.

'Sure, I'll get him.' the stranger told her.

After a couple of minutes a half familiar voice said, 'Joe here.'

'Joe, it's Lehane. You trained with my sister Sarah?'

'Lehane! Aren't you still in New York? What's a pretty girl like you doing calling an old blues player like me log distance?' He turned on some of the classic charm that she remembered.

'There a problem, a big one and I need your help.'

'Hold on there, I'm retired. Happily retired, have been for years.'

'Its Antonia Hennesly' Lehane told him. 'AKA Lady Annabel Long.'

There was a pause. 'Shit, this something to do with the bombing you had over there this morning?'

'Got it in one.'

'Shit,' he swore again. 'I thought she'd gone underground for good. What do you want me to do about it?'

'She can't get away with it this time, she's already faked her death once. Twice will never sell. We need to remover her.'

'We can't!' Joe growled. 'We don't get involved, that's our oath.'

'I know, but she has to be stopped. Before things go public, if we can't do it…'

'What are you suggesting?' He interrupted.

'You know exactly what I'm suggesting.' She admitted darkly.

Joe didn't say anything for a long minute. 'I'm coming there.' He said finally. 'and I won't be alone.'

She felt her pulse race, 'You're coming here, with him?'

Joe sighed. 'I've not heard from him in a long time, even if I had he hates New York.'

'So?'

'So I still have other friends.'

'One of them"

'No, one of us. I'm still retired and I keep clear of the game these days, but I know someone who still has a few contacts. I'll get him over there and see what, who, he can suggest.'

'Thanks Joe' Lehane sighed with relief, it was as if a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

'Don't thank me yet. This could all still blow up in our faces. Literally.' He said darkly. 'I've got you're cell number. Call you when we get there.'

'I'll track what I can of the investigation my end and give you a full update.' With that she hung up. Her quiet life was about to get very interesting.

End Chapter Three


	4. Chapter 4

Arc of the Curve  
>Chapter Four<p>

Kate had given up. There was no way she could win against Castle, Espo and Ryan. The real pain was she couldn't think of anywhere better. So there they, Castle, his daughter and Kate, were. In the secret basement of the Old Haunt interviewing Captain Nelson.

'Do I want to know how you swung this?' The bomb expert asked disbelievingly as Castle made him a coffee. The writer had converted the basement into a mini office, complete with it's own coffee machine. The machine wasn't as fancy as the one he had bought for the precinct, but the whole room was still kinda comfortable.

'I know the Mayor, comes in handy.'

'Right up until Toni blows this place out from under you.' Nelson grunted.

'True, which is another good reason why we don't want to use our homes.' Alexis supplied. Kate still didn't, couldn't, believe that she could read minds. There had to be another explanation. Some rational way to explain the trick. As Kate stumbled for one the redhead just glanced at her and shook her head.

Castle, of course, thought she was joking. Even after the whole demonstration outside of the Internal Affairs offices. 'You alright Beckett?' he asked, bringing her attention back to the real problem.

'Sorry, just… distracted.' She admitted. 'Right Captain, what can you tell us about Toni?

Rodger Nelson lent back. He looked haunted for a moment, and then began; 'Not much more than what your team will find out in the official records. I met Antonia in ninety-eight. We were in a bar in Chicago, like the one upstairs. She was beautiful, smart and we had a lot in common. She was posing as an antiques expert, specialising in historical fire arms. You know, flint lock pistols and muskets.'

'We know what you mean.' Kate told him. 'Go on.'

'Well we had that in common. I've always been interested in that sort of thing. I found out she lived here in New York, we promised to keep in touch but didn't. I'd like to say I lost the number or it never felt like the right time. Truth is I just didn't think of it, you know how it goes. Then I met her again. A year later, in Europe of all places, we even caught the same plane back to the states. After that we did stay in touch. We were married in two-thousand. We lasted about four years. All the time she… She was playing me.

'Her job, her real job, was as an assassin. Toni specialised in the perfect accident. Car crash, gas mains rupture, freak electrical surge, even spontaneous human combustion.' He sounded almost proud and there was a definite smirk on his face.'She'd pull them all off.'

'Really?' Castle asked, just like a big kid.

'Yeah, at least that was the rumour. There were others; that she worked for the highest bidder, including the CIA and the NSA.' Nelson admitted.

Kate looked at him carefully, 'You believe any of them?'

'I didn't know what to believe. Hell, for years she'd been nothing but a story. A real life Keyser Soze.'

Castle frowned and leaned in. 'So how did you catch her, I mean find out?'

'A buddy of mine, in major crimes. They caught one of the SOB's that hired her, he offered a description as part of a deal. Damn near had a heart attack when he found out and I nearly broke his jaw when he told me.'

'What happened?' Kate asked.

Rodger Nelson threw most of his coffee down his throat. 'It took a couple of months, but we got her. We got her.' He hissed. 'She was on one of her so called business trips. We teamed up with the FBI and followed. John, my buddy, saved the target while I defused the bomb she'd set up. Thing about Toni is she is a total psychopath, I don't know if it's professionalism or if she just likes to watch. Either way she was there. She saw it all. Toni always was cleverer than me..' He sighed. 'She tracked me down, found the hotel I was in and rigged it to blow. She got sloppy though, or didn't know she'd been spotted. We went in and she went out in a blaze of glory. Took herself out and a chunk of the building with her.'

In a sudden fit of rage he threw the empty coffee cup against the wall. Both Kate and Castle flinched, but she noticed that had Alexis just watched calmly as the cup flew past, Closer to her then either of them, as if she knew it wasn't going to hit. 'All we had to identify the body was dental records. She must have switched them. God only knows how she got out of that blast, but she did. I spent a week on suspension, but eventually they accepted my word. I stuck to bomb disposal, kept my nose out of what didn't concern me and buried my head in the sand.'

He grabbed the bridge of his nose and visibly calmed down. 'Damn it. I'm sorry about the cup.'

Alexis was looking at him, carefully. 'That's what you thought? that she took advantage of her survival, but now… Now you think she planned to fake her death from the start?' the young woman suggested.

Nelson scowled. 'Like I said she always was smarter than me.'

'Castle, what's wrong?' Kate asked, seeing the writer frown.

'You said Toni likes to stay close?' he asked the bomb expert.

'Yeah, so?'

'So she'd know Kate was in the building, why not blow it then?'

'She wanted me dead…'

Castle shook his head. 'That's just it. Captain Nelson, you said she's the expert in the accident. That much C4 in the middle of New York is no accident. There's nothing subtle about demolishing a police station. She's been invisible for ten years, why make a big show now?'

'Maybe that was the point.' Alexis suggested. 'The show. It was supposed to draw attention.'

Nelson looked up. 'A distraction, from what?'

'Detective Beckett knows.' Alexis told them.

Kate blinked, 'I do?' she asked, unsure.

'Bracken. If he's behind it, and he has to be, then he want's you dead and make a distraction out of it. Something big to hit the headlines.' Alexis told them.

'That doesn't make any sense!' Kate told her. 'Why would he want a distraction when he's got a massive press conference this afternoon.'

'Bracken? That senator rumoured to be going for vice president?' Nelson asked. What's that got to do with anything?'

'Oh whoa! Wait.' Castle said suddenly, obviously, he had an idea. 'Oh that's good, little cliche, but good.'

'No way! Alexis gasped.

'For those of us that can't read minds?' Kate snapped.

Castle was looking at everyone in the room. 'Not a distraction, a platform! Something to get the voters riled up. Manufacture a disaster, an attack in New York of all places, and he's already here to spearhead the investigation. Instant PR.'

Kate saw where he was going. 'And for added benefit he takes me, you and anyone else who could tie him back to the murder of my mother and the mobster kidnappings. My god Castle, if he played this right he could ride it all the way into the White House and there'd be no one to stop him.'

'Wait, wait you lost me.' Nelson got their attention. 'Your mother's murder? The Vice President, White House?'

'Bracken funded his campaign on money he blackmailed from a kidnapping ring.' Alexis explained. 'It's a bit more complicated than that but Detective Beckett's mother was investigating and he hired a hit man to kill her. Beckett found out and after being shot by another hit man she got enough evidence to implicate him.' Kate knew she hadn't told Alexis this, and Castle, for all his faults, would have kept her secrets.

'We can't reveal it though, otherwise it would hurt others. People we care about.' Kate explained, 'So we have a Mexican stand off. He won't move against me in case I reveal his past to the public, I can't move against him without destroying the memory and legacy of a close and dear friend.'

Nelson frowned. 'Looks like he found a way out of the deal.'

'I knew he was a murdering bastard. I just never knew he was a mass murdering son of a bitch.' Kate growled, before glancing to Alexis. 'Sorry.'

'Not a problem, I've heard way worse.'

'When?' her father asked sharply.

'Last time we ran out of coffee and you had a writing dead line due.' She said sweetly as Kate laughed. She knew how surly Castle could get when he had a dead line. It was the only reason she let him get away with not doing paper work.

'So we have a suspect, a trigger woman and no evidence.' Nelson summed up

'That means we need to find some. We need to find Toni Hennesly.' Kate pointed out.

* * *

><p>Javier came down the narrow steps. 'Gates is going to explode when she finds out we're running an investigation from a bar's basement.' he smirked.<p>

'Forget Gates, I'm more worried about my wife finding out.' Ryan laughed back.

'I'm the one that's going to get it in the neck guys.' Beckett called out as they made it to the bottom. 'What you find out?'

Javier pulled out the file he'd copied from central records. 'First of all our bomber has a jacket a mile long. She's been doing this a while. There's even a note saying she was rumoured to have been trained by some chika out of the British Army during the Falklands and served as a demolition expert during the first Gulf War.'

Alexis plucked the file out of his hands 'Military trained mercenary. I'd say that's another tick in the Bracken suspect column.' Almost as if she knew exactly what she was looking for the redhead pulled out the flash drive Javier had copied the security footage on to and plugged it into her laptop.

'What is she doing here?' Ryan asked

Beckett winced, 'Alexis thinks she can help. I'm not going to argue.'

'This something to do with the whole reading minds thing?'

'Something.' Alexis said sarcastically. Javier couldn't believe that Beckett of all people was buying into this. He waved her over to the other side of the basement.

'Okay, I'm all for help and Alexis is a great kid, but you sure she's not lost it?' He whispered under his breath so that only the two of them could hear

Kate winced 'I'm the first person to call for sanity here, but if it is just guess work she's got to be the luckiest girl on the planet.' She hissed back If it's not, and she really does know something then we play along. sooner or later we'll find out the truth.

'You think she's hiding a source?' Javier frowned.

Beckett just shrugged back and headed beck to the group. 'Right, I've got the files here.' The girl in question said, playing the security video. 'Captain Nelson, can you see Toni anywhere here?' It showed the inside of the Precinct, before it exploded. From the looks of things it was early in the morning. None of their shift had made it in yet.

The night staff were all on their ninth mug of coffee and staving off sleep by caffein alone. As bold as alive a woman, in a uniform, came out of the elevator. 'That's her.' Alexis said, that's the woman I saw.

'It's not her.' Nelson shook his head

That got everyone's attention. 'It's not?' Ryan asked as Javier flicked through the rap sheet he'd found on their suspect.

'It's not that good a picture.' he pointed out, trying to compare the mug shot to toe woman on the video

'It has been some time.' Beckett pointed out. 'People can change.'

'Not her.'

'If she faked her own death she could have changed her face.' Castle suggested. 'Plastic surgery.'

Nelson just shook his head. 'She doesn't move like Toni. Trust me, it's been ten years and I'd still recognise her in a blizzard.'

The suspect on the video had a box under one arm. With a professional efficiency she walked up to Beckett's desk and almost as a matter of course began replacing the phone. If anyone noticed they didn't seem to care. Wits dulled by lack of sleep or action. All to quickly the suspect had finished wiring up the bomb and left. 'Wait play that back.' Beckett said.

Alexis scrolled back a few moments and zoomed in. 'You're right detective. No gloves, She'll have left fingerprints'

'On what, the exploded remains of your desk?' Castle asked, confused

'No, on the lift's buttons.' Beckett corrected. 'It's a long shot but we might get something.'

'Let's see what happened outside.' Alexis suggested and opened the external video. Scrolling on she found the part where the suspect left the precinct. They watched as Alexis passed her, froze and after a moment almost ran inside.

The suspect walked on past and got into a waiting car and left. With a few clicks Alexis had a screenshot of the licence plate and of the suspect coming from the printer in the corner.

'Thanks Alexis.' Beckett took charge. 'Right Here's what we're going to do; Espo, Ryan. You're going back to central records, get everything you can on this woman and the car. Have Lanie get CSU to dust the elevator.'

Javier smirked. 'We know the drill.'

'And do you want a Bear Claw with that.' Ryan joked.

'Sure, get one for me too.' Castle told them. 'What are we doing?'

'You and me Castle, we're going to go though everything we know about Bracken. His contacts, people he's met, groups he's involved in with a microscope. Look for any gaps we can't explain. I don't think you find mad bombers on Craigslist. There has got to be some way to tie him to this Toni and her accomplice. Captain Nelson, if you don't mind, can you get in touch with any friends you still have in major crimes? Track down any rumours you can on your ex-wife.'

'I was going to do that anyway.'

Alexis held up a hand. 'What about me?'

'You're going back to college young lady.' Castle told her, which just got her rolling her eyes.

'Sorry bro.' Javier told him. 'All the schools and college's are closed.'

The girl grinned. 'Tell you what, I'll stay here and do the whole watchtower oracle thing. Anyone gets something, you bring it back here and I put it together.'

Castle and Beckett looked at each other. 'Alright, but you stay here, right next to your phone. No going upstairs partying…' Castle began

'Unless there's another bomb.' Ryan pointed out

'Unless there's another bomb, then run. Run like hell.' Her father told her.

Beckett nodded. 'Alexis is right. Until we have a precinct again this is HQ and we need a dispatch. Alright people, we know what we're doing lets do it.'

Javier stood back everyone nodded. He still wasn't buying into the whole reading minds thing. If Alexis wanted to play a game fine, but with her here when they got around to getting a straight answer from her they wouldn't have to look far.

'You coming?' Ryan asked from half way up the stairs.

'Sure bro.' Thats when Javier saw it. Alexis was head down in her lap top working on something when she reached out for a bottle of water. It was just out of reach and then it zipped across the table. Just a couple of inches but it was unmistakeable.

She looked up. 'What?'

End Chapter Four


	5. Chapter 5

Arc of the Curve  
>Chapter Five<p>

Richard shuffled the sheets of paper Kate had collected over the last couple of years on the Senator. He knew his bride to be could be obsessive about this thing, but she always kept it close to her chest. She still didn't entirely trust him with everything she had or did.

It was all to do with the deal he'd made with Smith to keep her safe. She didn't blame him for it, but understood that he would protect her if he thought he should. Even from herself. He would, simply because she wouldn't and he couldn't live with that. Sometimes he wished he could reach in and read her mind.

'Do you really think, Alexis I mean…

'That she is psychic?' Kate looked up. 'I don't know and that kinda scares me. Castle, she's either the best I've ever seen at reading people, and has Ryan and Espo covering her, or she's telling the truth. If anyone knows it's going to be you.'

Richard put the file down and looked at the wall 'She wouldn't lie. Not unless it was important and she'd tell us if it was a friend.' He shook his head, trying to remember anything that could say one way or another what the truth was. 'I told you about that time Meredith swooped in and took her out of school for a trip to paris.'

'Yeah? What of it.'

'Well it was a totally spur of the moment thing, but that morning I found Alexis opening my safe. She was checking on her passport.' Richard admitted. 'It was like she knew what was going to happen, before Meredith did.'

Kate sat back, 'Your safe?'

'I had one back then.' He waved it off, but Beckett had seen something he hadn't.

She leaned in. 'Your safe, did you give her the code?'

He frowned, trying to remember if he had. 'No. I always thought she read it over my shoulder one time, or guessed it. She's always been smart. I told you her first word.'

'Denouement?'

'Thing was I was asking mother about the Times crossword and there she was. This tiny little red haired thesaurus in a Disney onesie.' Beckett smiled at him. 'But I don't know where she first heard that word. I hadn't used it before, hell I'd never even heard it before.'

Richard felt a chill as he remembered something. 'She's always been insightful and a really good guesser, but sometimes it was really creepy. When she was tiny she had this imaginary friend, I guessed she was just watching TV, but she asked some difficult questions. Saying their imaginary friends mother had died.'

'Was this when Meredith was leaving.'

Richard shook his head. 'You'd think so but no. This was before, way before.' He remembered something. 'Then there was September 11th.'

'What?' That got her attention.

Richard could almost see it, happening again right in front of him. 'She woke up that morning, screaming. She'd had a nightmare, wouldn't say what it was about. Wouldn't say anything. She stayed in bed the whole day. I nearly joined her when it happened.'

'We're talking about psychic powers here Castle. Not seeing the future.' Beckett stopped and suddenly held her head in her hands. 'I can't believe I just said that aloud.'

Richard took her hand 'Hey, look on the bright side. At least we know our lives together will never be boring.'

That got a laugh from her which was interrupted when his cell rang. It was his daughter and he put it on speaker. 'Alexis?'

'Hi dad.' The phone squawked, 'Detective Becket with you?'

'I'm here Alexis what have you got?'

Update from the others. Doctor Parish wasn't able to pull any clear prints from the lift, but Detective Ryan got lucky. He said that the girl in the video was Amy Millhill. She's got quite a reputation. Her brother was killed three years ago in a drug bust that went wrong. After that she started picketing precincts, calling police officers killers and campaigning for more oversight. She moved on to graffiti and sparking riots.'

'Sounds like a lot of fun.'

'Oh she didn't stop there dad. She's been arrested four times for attacking officers and harassing their families. Last time she got a suspended sentence for three years and told to attend counselling.'

'Why didn't they throw the book at her?' Richard asked, but it was Beckett that answered.

'PR. The NYPD has a bad rep out there. We need to be seen to be compassionate.'

Richard gaped at her. 'With a woman like this?'

'Especially with her. We have to be lenient otherwise the public backlash would be political suicide for anyone trying to support us.' Beckett explained.

'Even now?' The phone asked

Beckett shook her head. 'Not a chance, she's going to jail for a good long time. Tell Ryan and Espo to meet us before we pick her up.'

'They're already on their way to you now. Ryan said that Captain Gates has taken over part of the fifteenth, she wants the interrogation done there.' Beckett was already on her feet.

'Right. Has Captain Nelson had any luck tracking down his ex-wife?'

'Not yet, things are a bit mad over in major crimes right now. He'll try again later.'

'Thanks, keep us in the loop.' She nodded and Richard hung up. 'Psychic or not, she's good.'

Richard tried to hide his pride.

* * *

><p>Captain Victoria "Iron" Gates stepped into the bar. How Mr Castle got away with this sort of thing was a continuous source of annoyance. The fact he knew that and kept on doing it just proved how immature the writer was.<p>

As far as she was concerned Richard Castle was an overgrown child that had all the charm in the world but nothing else. It was only by the wildest fluke of luck that he was right about anything even half as often as he was.

Inside was a bar, just like any of hundreds around the city, whatever her officers saw in this place was lost on her.

'Can I help you?' a Bar manager asked hopefully.

Victoria flashed her ID. 'I'm looking for Mr Castle.'

'Captain Gates?' A familiar young woman asked from the other end of the bar.

Victoria closed her badge and nodded to the manager. 'Miss Castle, I'm surprised to see you here.'

No one else in the bar seemed surprised. Looking around again Victoria noticed that it was all very civil. There was some atmosphere, but nothing violent or obscene. 'Like I told you on the phone, I'm running dispatch downstairs.' She looked around before freezing.

'Something wrong Miss Castle?' Every detective instinct inside her switched on.

She just easily shook her head. 'No, just remembered I still have a couple things of Pi's I've got to send him. Come on, I'll show you downstairs.'

'Miss Castle…'

'Trust me Captain, you'll love it. I'll show you what we've got so far.' There was something slightly off about her eagerness. Victoria nodded and followed. Just behind the bar was a small room and a large hatch in the floor that lead to a steep set of stairs. Victoria was glad for the handrail as they went into what she thought was going to be a dungeon.

It turned out to be a pretty nice office with good lighting and decor. Captain Nelson was also there, sipping a coffee. At the bottom Alexis, with studded calm, pulled a switch near the bottom that closed the door. She let out a breath. 'Well they didn't try to follow us.'

'Who didn't?' Victoria asked

'Bracken's men, he's got three of them up there watching us.'

Victoria was lost. 'Who?' She asked.

'If that son of a bitch want's to destroy all the evidence, we're next.' Her fellow captain grunted. 'You know that right.'

'Yes I do.' Miss Castle nodded. 'But they're more interested in taking out Detective Beckett and dad. I've got to warn them.' She headed towards the phone. Victoria watched carefully.

'Miss Castle, I'm sorry, but how do you know that?'

'Long story.'

Captain Nelson shrugged at her, as if to say he didn't know either. 'Just what is going on here?' she demanded.

Alexis Castle pulled out her phone. 'Captain, would you mind. I've got to warn my dad.'

'I got nothing better to do. I take it you want the whole story Gates?'

* * *

><p>'Bracken's got men at the Old Haunt? Great.' Kevin Ryan sighed as he pulled on his vest. He and Javier met up with Beckett and Castle and stopped just around the block from the suspects apartment. 'Any other good news?'<p>

'Chances are we're all getting fired when the Captain sees us… Well you're all getting fired I'm not technically employed…'

'Castle!' Beckett sighed.

The writer got back on track. 'See Gates was there when Alexis phoned and Captain Nelson filled her in on the whole thing.'

That got Kevin's attention. 'The whole thing?' Javier asked hefting the battering ram on a shoulder strap, 'Even about Montgomery?'

'I don't think he knows about that.' Castle pointed out.

'But Gates is smart enough to figure it out.' Beckett reminded them as she pulled the slide back on her weapon and checked the chamber.

'But not right away. Right?' Kevin's partner asked.

'Just give her time.' Beckett sounded resigned. 'That's not our problem right now. We've got to get our suspect.'

Kevin thought about it for a moment. 'If we can get the perp, squeeze a confession out of them and use that to nail Bracken…'

'… Montgomery is in the clear?' his partner finished. 'Isn't going to be that easy Bro.'

'No, but I'm sure with the real villain behind bars we could put in a good word.' Castle said.

'We'll just have to cross that bridge when we get to it.' Beckett sighed. 'Where's the rest of our backup?'

'No go on the backup.' Javier winced. 'There's panic all over the city, there just isn't the manpower to go around.'

'Give me a gun' Castle told them

'No.' Kevin and Javier sat at once, but he gave Beckett a look that was more common on a hang-tailed puppy.

'They're right Castle. This is going to be dangerous enough as it is.'

'An unloaded gun then. Look, you're going to need all the help you can get if there's more than one person up there and they won't know I can't shoot back.'

'Then they shoot you.'

'At me.' He corrected. 'I'll keep my head down but there's no reason to give them a target.'

'You sure you didn't hit your head when the Precinct came down Bro?' Javier joked.

Beckett pulled out one of her backups and quickly emptied it. 'Castle's right.' Slamming the empty clip back she handed it over. He quickly hid the grin he was giving her and posed with it. 'Just don't get yourself killed.'

'Alexis would never let you hear the end of it.'

'I'm not worried about Alexis, it's your mother I'm scared of!'

After a laugh the four of them headed into the apartment building. Weapons drawn and held low. 'Millhill is dangerous.' Kevin reminded them as they moved in. 'I'm not just talking about bombs. She pepper sprayed a police cordon at an unconnected rally two weeks ago.'

'Partners?' Beckett asked calling the elevator down to them.

'She's been connected to a few groups, but they've all disowned her. They thought she was too violent.'

'Great. I should have brought my shotgun.' Javier grumbled as they piled in and Kevin hit the fourth floor.

'Apartment four oh six.' He told them. That meant it was to the left when they reached the landing.

Beckett nodded. 'Espo, give Castle the ram. Ryan, you and Castle swing right. Come at the door from the other side. He breaches. Ryan and I take the room Espo covers him.'

'You got it.' Kevin set off in a run in what would otherwise be the wrong direction.

'This is so cool.' Castle said, following him. 'I'm actually one of the guys!'

'You always were.' Kevin told him. 'You know what you're doing with that thing?'

He held on to the battering ram like it was a baby. 'How hard can it be?'

* * *

><p>'Look I'm telling you.' Javier hissed under his breath. 'She didn't touch it, the bottle just flew into her hand.<p>

'Espo…'

'In to her hand Beckett. I saw it.'

Beckett winced. 'This isn't the time.'

'When? When Castle's around?' He snapped back. 'Look Beckett, you know I'm as skeptical on this whole thing as you, but I saw it. Tell me, tell me you have another explanation.'

'I believe my eyes Espo. I don't know if she's playing a game, or if she's really reading minds. I just trust she's trying to help.' Beckett whispered back as Ryan and Castle came around the other side. She gave them a thumbs up. Castle grinned like a four year old and brought the ram around.

Beckett waved three fingers and began to count down. At zero she clenched her fist and Castle acted.

The writer come consultant reeled back and smashed the door, it split down the middle, one half hanging on by it's bottom hinge. The other hitting the floor, loudly. 'NYPD! Nobody move!' Beckett shouted.

'NYPD! Amy Millhill hands on your head, on your knees!' Javier called after the detective as she headed in. Inside was your typical low rent apartment; flat pack furniture, cheap dirty green couch and a couple of old pizza boxes. Nothing to offer cover if the suspect had a weapon.

She did, just not a gun. 'Get out of my home, fascists!' She screeched waving a screwdriver like it was a sword. 'Get out!'

'Amy Millhill, drop the the weapon and hands on top of your head.' Beckett ordered. Instead, with a high pitched scream, the girl threw it. Both Javier and Beckett ducked but she was no professional Baseball player.

As it bounced off the wall harmlessly Beckett dived after the girl, tackling her to the ground before she had chance to turn around. 'Amy Millhill, you're under arrest.'

'You got nothing! Nothing! You're the real criminals here, not me. Killers, murderers.' she kicked and screamed as Beckett put the cuffs on. Javier covering her all the time.

As they lifted the girl to her feet, Castle said something. 'Urm, guys. I think we need to call Captain Nelson.' He was looking down at the coffee table. There was a broken alarm clock, it's wires all over the place. Next to it was a pile of what could only be homemade explosives.

End Chapter Five


	6. Chapter 6

Arc of the Curve  
>Chapter Six<p>

They had gathered in the ship. 'Well you called us here Adrian, what's wrong?' Adam asked seriously.

The youngest, and the newest, of the Tomorrow People looked around nervously. The main room was almost full with what most people considered there leaders; Adam, Megabyte, Ami and Jade. While there were more Tomorrow People all over the world, it was the four of them that everyone turned to. For help and, when they needed it, guidance. They were also the four that met with each new Tomorrow Person as they broke out.

'I don't know.' He admitted clutching his notebook. 'I just don't know. Something's wrong, I can feel it, but it's like I can't.'

Megabyte lent back against the glass. 'Like a name on the tip of your tongue, you know its there but you can't remember it?'

'That's it!' Adrian couldn't agree fast enough. The others looked at each other and Adrian could hear what they were thinking. 'What do you mean, just like me?'

Jade smiled. 'When you broke out, it was slow. For days we were walking about snapping at each other. It was like we'd forgotten that we'd left the oven on.'

'Then you teleported into the ocean outside and it was like someone just switched on a light in a dark room.' Adam agreed. 'You'd broke out completely and we could sense you.'

Adrian reached out, beyond the ship and took a breath. 'No. Something's wrong.' He shook his head. 'That's not right. She's… She's hiding. Blocking. Blocking us, blocking herself…'

'Wait, she? Anyone else get that?' Ami asked the others.

Adrian frowned, why had he said she. 'I know her. I know I do.' He said, frustrated.

'Adrian, you're the strongest telepath we've got.' Adam told him. 'You can sense things I can't even imagine. If you say she's out there, that she's hiding, I trust your instincts.'

After another deep breath the young telepath reached out again. If Adam trusted his abilities so should he. 'Something's changed, she's been hiding for a long time. She's gotten good at it, but something's different. Her powers! She's using them.'

Megabyte was on his feet. 'That's like trying to hide while shouting at the top of your voice. She's got to be good to do that.'

'Question is, what would she do with that type of power?' Ami asked. The idea of a rogue Tomorrow Person, with all their powers but none of their morals, was a worry for all of them.

'Can you tell where she is?' Jade asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.

'East. East and north.' He told them before he lost her. 'That's the best I can get, she's very far away and knew I was looking.'

Everyone knew what that meant 'America.'

* * *

><p>Alexis frowned as the car came to a stop. It felt like someone was trying to read over her shoulder. Shaking her head Alexis pulled her thoughts back and the feeling vanished.<p>

Captain Gates got out of the car and waited for Alexis to follow. 'Now listen Miss Castle. The only reason I let you tag along…'

'Victoria, you don't need to repeat yourself.' Captain Nelson interrupted as he came around the car, closing his old fashioned cell phone. 'Just got word from my boys, there was enough C4 in Millhill's apartment to take out four buildings. More if she had a good idea where to put it.'

Of course Alexis knew that already. She'd been listening in during the drive. It was getting easier for her to read people now she wasn't holding herself back as much as before. She could pick up an entire conversation at the briefest of touches, but she still felt limited. Like there were whole parts of her she wasn't using.

She'd been able to convince Captain Gates to bring her to the precinct where her Father, Beckett and the team were questioning Millhill. Captain Nelson had come with them to give an update on the explosives, as such he'd had a real reason.

Alexis had to promise Captain Gates that she'd keep her father out of trouble and stay out of it herself. She'd even feel guilty for lying, if Captain Gates had believed her for half a second.

The three of them walked up the stairs and into the precinct they were supposed to be borrowing for the moment. At the top Ryan and Esposito were waiting for them. 'Where's Beckett?' Gates asked.

'Grabbing coffee.' Ryan pointed out, following with an almost forgotten 'Captain.'

'I wouldn't advise it. Castle tried a cup, and now he won't shut up about how bad it was.' Esposito explained.

'Is there some rule that Police Station coffee should be bad? Alexis asked innocently.

'Yep.' Captain Nelson pointed out, 'But trust me there's always worse.'

'I think this is the worse Captain.' Kate told them as she and Alexis's dad came up. 'So how are we going to do this?'

Captain Gates gave her a black look, she was more than a little angry that Beckett hadn't included her investigation into her mothers death. While she understood at some level why the detective and her team were keeping quiet about it. 'Myself and Detective Esposito are going to handle the interview. Detectives Beckett and Ryan will observe. Mr Castle, Miss Castle and Captain Nelson, if you three could search though her background. Find anything that connects her to our other suspects.'

'Captain… I want to be in on the interview.' Kate asked as politely as she could.

Gates gave her a long look. 'Detective, even I didn't know what I know now about your connection to this case I'd say blowing up your desk makes this personal for you.'

'I can explain.'

'You're going to Detective. Later.' Captain Gates snapped. 'Esposito, you're with me.'

As the Captain left Alexis felt the team turn to her. It was like listening to "Row your Boat" being sung out sequence, badly. Four peoples thoughts, all thinking the same things, but in a different order to each other. They all overlapped, but she could sense each of them clearly.

It took her a moment to close herself off, before she could the bombardment of thoughts made her dizzy. 'Alexis?' her father asked reaching out.

The took a moment to steady herself. 'I'm good. I'm good.' she insisted. 'Just you guy's were thinking a bit loud is all.'

'Detective.' Captain Gates called Esposito over. With a look she didn't have to be a telepath to read the Detective left and she followed.

'Hold on, where are you going?' Kate asked.

'With you.' Alexis pointed out. 'I can look through the mirror and read her.'

Ryan coughed. 'Isn't there a law stopping you.'

Kate frowned, but Alexis already knew the answer. 'You know I don't think there is.'

'Well the fifth Amendment might count.' Captain Nelson suggested with a shrug.

Alexis's father blinked, 'You're not surprised by this mind reading daughter thing?'

'Trust me, after seeing the things I have not a problem.' he smirked. 'You'll be surprised at the things I've seen explode.'

* * *

><p>Joe waited in the arrivals lounge. The coffee was awful, the lighting bad and despite it all his legs ached. Of all the things irritating about air travel he hated it when his legs ached. Why was it always his legs that ached? He could understand anything else, but his legs? He needed to take a walk, loosen himself up, but he was stuck here until Adam arrived.<p>

Transcontinental flights were a solid pain in the ass.

'Dawson?' A familiar woman's voice asked.

He looked up. 'Lehane! Good to see you!' She was older, but still as pretty as she was years ago.

'You look like hell Joe.' She said honestly.

'Four hour plane ride after running the bar all night will do that to you.' He laughed easily. 'Especially at my age. Heard anything more?'

She sat down. 'Nothing, at least not that I've heard. Joe, you've got to understand I'm pulling every string I can, but I'm not a detective, or a field agent. At best I'm a researcher, it's taking everything just to keep in the loop.'

Joe took her hand. 'Lehane, trust me I know it's hard work. It gets harder the longer you're out here. The lines they get blurred, I know you're doing your best and that's enough.'

She gave him a smile that told Joe he still had enough charm to get away with flirting. 'Thanks. My work, with the police, is internal affairs. They're investigating her ex-husband, but don't care about her.' Joe realised she was about to break a whole load of rules. 'They just want their pound of flesh, so we don't have to worry about them. The problem is the team investigating the bombing.'

'Detectives?' Joe asked carefully.

Lehane nodded and pulled a file from her handbag. 'and a consultant. A writer. Joe these guys have a reputation. They go after odd cases, outlandish ones that don't make much sense and dig.'

'Sounds like a nightmare for us.' Joe hissed taking the file. 'You've got no authority to call them off?'

'I haven't any at all.' she shook her head. 'I just push paper around the office.' Joe quickly flicked through the paperwork. It wasn't compressive, more just a review. He'd read enough files in his day to know there was more somewhere, but this was going to have to be enough.

'So,' she asked carefully. 'You call him?'

Joe paused before closing the last file. 'No. I tried, but the number I had was out of date. I did have someone else though.'

'Another one of them?' She looked pale. 'Can we trust them?

Joe laughed easily. 'Oh yeah, they knew about us long before Mac found me.' He frowned at the files. 'If we can't work around them, we're going to have to work through them. I only hope they don't get too close before we can stop them.'

* * *

><p>Kevin Ryan left the observation room and found Beckett and Castle's daughter sitting on the benches just across the hall. 'What happened in there?' he asked.<p>

Alexis looked shaken, almost ill. 'That wasn't fun.'

'You alright now?' Beckett asked rubbing her back.

'I might throw up again, but I'll be good.' She admitted with a shaky voice. 'She's insane.'

'Who?' Beckett asked before he could.

Alexis swallowed. 'Amy, she's crazy.'

Castle ran across the room. 'Alexis, are you okay?'

'Can people stop asking that, I'm fine. Now.' She smirked. 'What did you and Captain Nelson find out?'

Kevin blinked. 'Don't you know already?'

'She might, but I don't.' Beckett pointed out.

Castle nodded. 'Right, well there's not much Ryan didn't already find out. Millhill's an activist. She's been at anti-police rallies all over the city. Arrested several times. History of rioting and attacks against officers. I can't see any reason why, just attacks of opportunity.'

'So this was an attack against the NYPD, not just us?' Beckett asked, but it was Alexis that shook her head

'No Kate, she was just a weapon.' The collage student told them. 'Dad, the next bits important.'

He cocked an eyebow at her but carried on. 'You might be asking why would she want to attack police officers. If you were paying attention you'd know. She blames them for killing her brother. It was a drugs bust that went bad. Officers got a tip off that a deal was happening. They rolled up, tried to be stealthy until a uniformed officer stumbled on to the scene. Her brother got caught in the following crossfire and she's blamed the NYPD ever since.'

'That's a lie.' Alexis spoke up. 'Her brother was dealing, but the officers never tied him to it. She was so desperate to blame someone that she chose the police.'

Kevin thought about it, but Beckett was the one to say it. 'So she knew what her brother was doing?'

'She was his best customer.' Alexis shrugged. 'She was half out of her skull on drugs the other half with grief.'

'Great, so it's a dead end.'

Captain Gates and Ryan came out of the interview room 'What have we got?'

'A mad woman that gets us nowhere.' Castle summed up.

'Toni Nelson is staying at the Conrad Hilton, just off Vesey Street.' Alexis announced. Everyone glared at her. 'What, I said she was insane, not stupid.'

* * *

><p>She'd had many names in her long life. Most recent of which was Toni Nelson. Over the years she'd been a lot of things; a midwife, a nurse, an artist, an assassin, a nun and even a dancer. Right now she was a teacher, she taught people how to be killers.<p>

It was a living.

Her latest employer, well if she was honest, he scared her. His plan, what he wanted to do. It was a nightmare, what was worse no one could stop him. At best the person he wanted dead was an irritation. A stone in his shoe.

He'd gone to a lot of trouble to get rid of them, and her failure was enough to change her from a useful contact to a hinderance.

Toni looked down at her notebook. She was sat at the small coffee table in her room Thinking of her next move. Another bomb was too noisy, a single kill shot from a sniper too precise. That only left two options she was familiar with. The first was poison, not her best choice. Teaching people how to poison was always a bad move. You could never predict who they would go after next.

The other option was drive by shooting. Roll up and mow them down with a pair of Mac-10's. It wouldn't look like anything but a straight killing. She didn't have much choice.

There was a knock on the door, interrupting her. 'Room service.' Toni shook her head, she hadn't called room service. Before she could answer the door was smashed and five men dressed in tactical gear burst in.

'Well you took your time.' Trying not to show any shock she sat back until her chair creaked. 'I should have ordered that drink.'

'Toni.' One familiar voice said. She looked and her heart jumped.

'Hello Rodger.' she tried a smile. 'You look good.'

Her husband took a step forward, his gun shaking but not wavering from her. 'You haven't changed.' He said flatly

'I don't.' She admitted before turning her attention to the one woman in the group. 'Detective Beckett. It's good to meet you in person. I hope you didn't take the bomb personally.'

'Antonia Hennesly, you are under arrest.'

'Let's skip that.' She waved. 'You're not going to arrest me and I'm not going to come quietly.'

A tall, handsome, man that wore a tactical vest with the word Writer across his chest looked shocked. 'You want to get shot?'

'No. Not if I can help it.' She admitted easily. 'But there's only two ways out of this room for me now. In hand cuffs or a body bag and I don't like the idea of cuffs. They clash with my necklace.'

The young detective obviously didn't know what to make of her. That hesitation would cost her. 'Espo, handcuffs.' She ordered.

When the Latino Detective got close she grabbed his wrist, twisted and threw the man into a chair. The fourth officer moved in just behind his friend. Toni sent a snap-kick to his mid-section. Folding him up around her foot before she pushed. Sending him tumbling into Beckett.

That left Rodger and the writer. Roger had froze, that meant the writer, Castle, was the biggest threat. Then Beckett's gun went off. A wad of lead, accelerated to just below the speed of sound, slammed into Toni's collar bone.

She felt bone snap, pain blossomed in her and it took all her strength to keep standing. 'Ow.' she gasped, looking down. Toni might have knocked Beckett down but she was still in the fight.

So was Toni, for the moment, kicking the gun out of Beckett's hand she was tackled backwards by the writer. The other detectives were getting to their feet, she didn't have long before blood loss would become a problem. Bouncing off the wall Toni punched Castle with her good arm, knocking him back, but giving Rodger a clear shot. He took it, twice.

The first hit her just below the heart. It was a killing shot. The second hit just above her right eye. The last thing she saw was the glass from the window as she tumbled out of the hotel room.

* * *

><p>Richard Castle sat on the tailgate of the car and watched as the body was put in the bag. 'She was our only lead.'<p>

Kate just glared at the ambulance.

'How's Ryan and Espo?'

'They're good.' she said. 'She was our only lead. Bracken would have covered his tracks by now. He paid that woman to convince that poor girl to plant a bomb, maybe others. All the time he stays squeaky clean, if you're right he's still going to ride this disaster in to the White House.' Kate threw her head back, pushing the hair from her face. 'Now Gates knows about our investigation, she's going to want a full briefing. It's only a matter of time before she finds out about Montgomery.'

'Maybe we could… distract her. Come up with something oh…' Richard tried to spin a story that might have held together But Kate interrupted him with a shake of her head.

'Gates is too smart for that Castle. She used to work Internal Affairs remember. She can smell a dirty cop a mile off.' They sat there for a moment before she added. 'Oh yeah, and Alexis can read peoples minds.' It was true, she'd more than proved it to them. There was simply no other way for her to have known the things she did. 'Didn't see that one coming. Did you?'

'No.' he agreed. It was a bit of a shock. 'At least things can't get much stranger.'

Kate smiled quietly. 'You know what happens next don't you? Things get stranger.'

'I can't see how.' he admitted.

'The time travelling guy, what was his name?'

'Simon Doyle.' Richard told her. 'Sure, but what are the chances?' he frowned, 'Shouldn't that ambulance have gone to the morgue by now?'

As one the pair of them stood up, Kate going for her gun. Richard knew what she wanted him to do. He opened the doors while she kept her gun low. 'Damn it!' She growled and Richard peaked around the door. Two people were unconscious inside. 'Where's the body?' She asked puzzled, half crawling inside to try and find it.

Richard looked around for something, anything out of place. Then he saw the impossible. 'Kate.'

'They must have gotten her out through the other door. Why didn't we see anything?'

'Beckett!' he shouted urgently. She pulled her head out of the ambulance. On the other side of the street, beyond the police cordon and the still gathering crowds, stood Antonia Hennesly.

Not even a scratch on her and with an easy smile as she flipped them both a sarcastic two fingered salute and disappeared into the crowd.

End Chapter Six

* * *

><p>Authors note<p>

Hello. Oh dear, I don't like doing this. I find it cheap and tacky, but needs must. I'm currently working on four stories at once and I really like this one, but I feel there's not the support out there it needs. In six chapters I've only had two reviews here. Even after the last chapters disastrous lack of bata reading (some of the spelling mistakes were so bad even I noticed) no ones pulled me up yet. So does anyone mind if I let this one drop? At least for the time being?

There are other stories I could be writing, and should. Especially my current elephant in the room "Justice Questioned." If you think I should put this on the back burner and focus elsewhere I will. If you want me to stop stalling and speed things up to the real meat of the story I'll do that to.

If nothing happens, then I'll assume no one's interested and move on. As always I have other ideas, including a Castle & NCIS crossover with another show that should be fun.

Until then I'll just have to see you later.

Thomas  
>AKA Mountain King<p>

PS Quick Update. One "Guest" review, that I'm leaving up, has suggested that if I enjoy writing this then I shouldn't "Threaten to drop it due to lack of reviews". Just to make this clear. I like this story and hope to finish it eventually, no matter what people say. I'm just pointing out that I do a lot of other stories and many of them are getting a lot more support than this one.

With only a finite amount of time I can't work on all of them at once. If there isn't the demand here that there is elsewhere I have to prioritise. I don't like it, and I don't like asking, but I can't see another way. Again; not abandoning but back burner means that there won't be as many or frequent updates.

Thomas


	7. Chapter 7

Arc of the Curve  
>Chapter Seven<p>

Authors note"

After some prodding and much needed reviews I have decided not to shelve this one. I want to thank everyone who has read & will read this story and especially thank those that left a review. It's nice to know the efforts are appreciated.

On that note we start the second act of the story. Where Alexis meets more of her kind and learns just what she is capable of. Meanwhile Kate and Castle learn just how deep the rabbit hole gets as our third crossover steps out of the shadows and changes things yet again!

* * *

><p>Adam ambled down the hallway from passport control, a duffle bag hanging over one shoulder and a lazy smile on his face. 'Joe!' he shouted, quickening his pace.<p>

'Damn buddy, it's good to see you again.' Joe laughed.

Adam stopped just in front of his old friend and dropped his bag before giving Joe a back slapping hug. After a few bone rattling slaps he let go. 'If it's so good why'd you call me to New York? I hate this place.' He joked

I don't know, thought you might like a change of scenery. I hear the weather's nice this time of year…'

'Joe…'

The retired Watcher rested his weight on his stick again. 'I told you, someone has to stop that mad woman before she blows the whole thing wide open. It's only a matter of time before the police put two and two together…'

'And come up with eight. Even if they have cast iron proof no one's going to believe them. Come on, I had to check my sword in to the hold back in Paris' Picking up his bag Adam headed deeper into the airport. Joe following.

'If you think this is all a waste of time then why are you here?' he reasoned. 'You could be anywhere, sipping cold beer on a beach on the other side of the planet? Instead I call you and you agree to catch the first flight out here?'

'Because a good friend asked. That's why.' He answered and Joe could only shake his head in wonder. Even after all these years he could still surprise him. 'But seriously, couldn't you have called Mac for this?'

The oddly matched pair stood at the baggage claim. So far there was just the same three suitcases that always seemed to be left behind whatever airport you found yourself in. 'Retired remember, officially I'm not supposed to even know where he is.'

'Unofficially?'

'Unofficially he's still in that cabin of his. No phone, no power. Word around the Watcher water cooler is he's lost it. I just think he's seen too much evil and needs some time.'

Adam shrugged. 'Sounds possible, but he can't lock himself away like Darius for a couple of dozen centuries. Decade or two maybe. I'll swing by after we're done here and get him drunk. That usually cures most existential crises. Still doesn't answer my question, why not pay him a visit?'

'We need to keep this quiet. That means no cops, no government agency getting wind and no Watchers. Mac coming out of seclusion to take heads would be loud. No one does quiet quite like you my friend.' The sword case came along and Adam picked it up with a familiar ease.

He grinned, 'Well aren't we being crafty, old man.'

'Old man, I can't believe you of all people just called me "old man"!' Joe grinned

Adam, otherwise known as Methos, threw an arm over his shoulder. 'Takes one to know one, buddy. Come, it's getting late. Let's find a hotel and get some rest. Tomorrow we ride!'

* * *

><p>Captain Gates threw her glasses on the table. 'Are you telling me you both saw the suspect?'<p>

'Yes, but it couldn't have been.' Kate explained. 'She didn't have a scratch on her.'

'Unless she was working with Nelson. Your report says it was his shots that took her down. Supposedly took her down.'

Kate caught her temper just in time. 'Captain, she attacked us. I've never seen anything like it. I put a round in her chest myself, she just kept coming. If it wasn't for Captain Nelson she would have escaped…'

'She did escape, damn it Beckett!' Gates had been given a desk in the 14th Precinct, with the rest of the officers homeless. Only Kate and her team had anything like a base and that was in the basement of the Old Haunt. How long that lasted was anyones guess. 'Internal Affairs are all over this one Detective. Rodger Nelson has been officially relived of duty and is about ten seconds away from being arrested for aiding and abetting his ex-wife. They're looking for any excuse to pull you and the entire department down with him. Frankly I'm looking for a reason not to throw you to the wolves.' She suddenly looked drained as if the day was finally catching up with her.

Luckily Kate was still riding the adrenalin from the raid and coffee she'd grabbed before being called in 'Captain…'

'Sit. Just sit.' The other woman sighed. 'I'm going to ignore just where Ms Castle has gotten her information. If I'm lucky I'll be able to gloss over that bit if anyone asks. I might even be able to salvage something out of this whole mess, but you need to level with me. I want the whole story. Not what you think I should know, not what you think Ms Castle left out. Everything. Otherwise it would be better for all of us if you left your badge right here.' she tapped on the desk. 'You know who hired these people and you know why.'

Kate sighed herself, she didn't have much choice. If she was ever going to catch Bracken or bring him to justice she needed her badge. 'My mother was murdered Captain. The officers that investigated just filed it as her begin in the wrong time, wrong place, but I could never understand why she was there. I became a cop to stop it from happening again. Happening to someone else, so that no other little girl would have to open a door and see a policeman instead of their mother.' She felt her voice brake but pushed on. 'It still wasn't enough though. When I got access to the records the first thing I did was find that closed case and crawled inside. There was nothing, no leads, no inconsistencies. Open and shut, just like they said. It was just too clean, but back then all I could see was that no one had been brought to justice. Captain Montgomery found me there one night. I told him it just didn't add up and he told me… he told me to keep digging. So I did. I dug until it almost destroyed me and still found nothing.'

'I didn't get anywhere until Castle. I don't know where he found it or what favours he had to pull but he got the autopsy report to someone. Another coroner for a second opinion. It wasn't some random mugging, or a hit and run. It was a hit, someone hired a professional. My mother was close to something, something big.'

'Senator William Bracken.' Gates supplied.

'He was DA at the time. As crooked as they came and untouchable even then. He found out a group of police officers were kidnapping mobsters then ransoming them back to the families. Keeping them off the streets and making a tidy profit in the process. Along the way an undercover agent got killed. The officers framed a two bit hood and tried to sweep it under the carpet but Bracken found out about that to. He got there first, got all the evidence needed and used it to blackmail them. He's been using the money since to help fund his political ambitions.'

Taking a deep breath Kate tried to keep her voice level as she continued. 'That is when my mother got involved. She was a lawyer, a good one, and she believed everyone had the right to a fair trial. If someone was guilty she made sure they were charged right. Not for something they didn't do. Innocent, she wouldn't stop until the guilty party was found and punished. She was working the hood's case, the one that was framed. It didn't take her long to find out about the kidnappings, the murder and then the blackmail.'

Gates sat back. 'If she'd discovered the truth about Bracken's little side business, while he was still DA he'd have been disgraced, his political ambitions in ruins.'

Kate nodded. 'He was already planning to get into the White House. He couldn't let her uncover him. Bracken used the money he had extorted to pay for a killer. He paid someone to walk up behind… to…'

Gates, thankfully, saw Kate was struggling and jumped in. 'If you know all this, why have you not arrested him yet?'

Kate shook her head, this was what she was afraid of. 'The officer's involved in the kidnappings, the ones being blackmailed. They were keeping things buried all that time. When one of them, Raglan, tried to point me in the right direction Bracken hired another hit man to take him out. That man was Lockwood, he was coming after me too, until Montgomery stopped him. Maddox, the man that shot me in the chest, was another one brought in to finish the job. Captain, Bracken is a ruthless, amoral, sociopath with political, military and mercenary connections we can't begin to touch. Until today I've been threatening to go public with what little proof I have. It's not enough to get a conviction but it is keeping him away.

'Castle thinks he was trying to kill two birds with one stone this morning. Take out me and my team, then, at the same time, build a platform to rally the voters around.'

Gates agreed. 'He's defiantly getting what publicity he can out of it, being the one presidential candidate in town. I thought he was just being opportunistic.' she frowned again. 'That just leaves one question. Why not go to the press now?'

'We don't have anything solid to tie him to the bombing. Just an MO.'

'I mean with your mother's murder. Surely you have something more concrete on him. Otherwise, if he's willing to level a police building to kill one person, why would he let you live this long?'

This was it, this was the moment Kate knew was coming for years. 'Montgomery. He was one of the kidnappers. If I take Bracken down like that he'll pull the whole precinct down with him. We'll all be under suspicion for the rest of our careers, like Captain Nelson. More than that. Montgomery's wife and son. They don't know anything about this. Roy Montgomery saved my life Captain Gates. Lockwood was there for me and he… and he…' She couldn't hold it back any longer. Kate cried. She wanted to stop. To keep a brave face on it but she couldn't. Not any more.

Gates waited, giving her time to finish before pulling out a box of paper tissues. 'I wish you came to me with this earlier, but in your position I wouldn't know who to trust either. I assume you've got copies of what evidence you have stored securely?'

'We each have our own places Captain, I know Castle has a few, including a flash drive stashed in the spine of one of his books.' She lied. He did have one there, but he'd moved it months ago when his argument that, as it was the first place they'd think of looking that made it the last place they actually would stopped making sense. Kate trusted her superior officer, but not enough for this.

Gates stood up, and walked around the small room before coming to a stop on the other side of her chair and resting her hands on it's back. 'It's been a long day Detective. With Internal Affairs taking over the Hennesly part of this case and Millhill taking credit, loudly, for the bombing our involvement in this is done. The 12th's workload is being spread between the remaining Precincts, most of my officers too. I've been told, unofficially, that as of tomorrow the 12th might no longer exist.'

'Captain…' Kate asked.

'I'm officially putting you and your team on leave, tonight while I still can. Get some rest. Tomorrow just kick back, relax, take up a hobby.'

'Captan I don't have a hobby. The 12th was… is my life.' Kate was on her feet too, she had to get her superior to understand. 'Isn't there anything you, anything I can do? Maybe Castle can call the mayor…'

'You're not listening Detective. You already have a hobby and your team will be with you. Now first thing in the morning I'm going to go straight to the Chief of Police, to argue that my Precinct needs to be put back in action. I will be out of touch for the next few days, so you are on your own.'

Kate's jaw dropped and she realised what was happening. She was giving her what she needed. Permission. She was free to take down Bracken. 'Thank you, sir.' With that she turned to leave.

'Oh, Detective. Do me one favour, warn me before you make your move.'

'You got it' She grinned. Bracken was at last, finally going to pay for what he'd done.

* * *

><p>Alexis woke up early, with the sun shining though the slit of a window. After a long moment she got out of bed and looked around her tiny apartment. It was only three small rooms, four if you counted the kitchen. If you could call a microwave and a sink crammed in a corner a kitchen. Still it was hers.<p>

Pi had moved out a couple of days ago and there wasn't one thing to tell people he'd ever been here at all. Not that there was much when he was there, other than the piles of discarded clothes. That was his way, drifting through life and going with the flow of things. The thought she loved that about him. His care free attitude, easy smile and the way nothing bothered him. He just sort of floated around life, living each day as it came.

She was the one that made decisions, that thought about tomorrow and the day after. At first she thought it was a perfect fit, but as time went on nothing changed. They didn't argue, you couldn't when some agreed with everything you said. Pi didn't think, didn't seem to care, about anyone. Not himself and, Alexis realised eventually, not her.

Even suggesting they take a break he just shrugged, said okay and left. Not packing so much as collecting his debris. When they moved in together she thought that would break her heart. As it was she just felt tired and not just a little disappointed.

Heading into the toilet, with it's cramped basin and mirror she shook her head. Things had really changed over the last few days. Pi moving out, the bombing and finally telling her father about what she could do. It was just so much to take on board right now. She smiled at herself. 'I wish I could just click my heels and vanish to Oz.'

As soon as she said it Alexis felt light headed. It only lasted moment, then it was like when you're drifting asleep and your leg jolts you awake. Suddenly she wasn't in her tiny, cheap, one bedroom apartment. She was standing barefoot on an island beach.

It was a dream, it had to be. She must have fainted. Alexis pinched the back of her hand and felt it. It felt all too real, the sand was still warm from the freshly set sun. The sky above was a shade of blue slightly lighter than night and the stars were just beginning to show. A beautiful full moon shin down like a silver penny, It's deep craters making it appear almost tarnished. The smell of salt water on the breeze and the gentle lapping of the waves.

There was just too much detail to be a dream. Even the refreshing cold of sea water between her toes as the tide slowly came in. 'Wha..'

'Hello?' a voice came from behind her and Alexis spun.

It was an attractive woman, she was in her late twenties, early thirties and had a mass of brown hair on her head. What scared Alexis was she hadn't felt them, they were a total blank to her and her abilities.

Stumbling Alexis fell backwards, landing not in the sea like she half expected, but her own apartment. The sand still sticking to her feet.

She didn't think she could get dressed fast enough.

* * *

><p>Jade teleported in to the house. 'Whoa there, hold on. Where's the fire?' Megabyte asked practically running to her.<p>

'Adrian, is he here?'

'Sure, in the living room. What's up?' her boyfriend asked, but she didn't have time to answer. He guessed as much and stuck close.

In the living room Adrian was reading a book, but he already knew she was coming. 'Jade, what's the matter?'

'I saw her, our mystery Tomorrow Person! I saw her!' She burst out. That got everyones attention.

'Where?' 'Was it a Psychic vision?' they both asked at once.

She shook her head. 'It was on the Island, she teleported there, but I don't think she meant to. She was gone before I could talk to her.'

'Did you get her name?' Megabyte prodded. 'Where she's from.'

Jade could only shake her head. 'She was too shocked and too closed off. I think she tried to scan me, but it was more instinct than anything else.'

'When was this, just now?' Adrian asked standing up.

Jade nodded. 'You felt something?'

'Just a flash of fear.' He frowned, like he was remembering something. 'You saw her, what did she look like?'

He was intent, a lot more than Jade was used to coming from the artist. 'She was pale, willowy. Tall and thin, but not sick thin you know. Very pretty, with beautiful red hair.' She described the girl. As she did Adrian's face went blank.

'Hey, whats wrong?' Megabyte asked. The two of them had practically adopted Adrian shortly after he completely broke out a few years earlier. Dead mom and a dad that really didn't deserve the title. He'd spent most of his teenage years bouncing from relative to relative, never quite fitting in due to his telepathic powers manifesting so early. Since becoming a full Tomorrow Person he'd found a home and an extended family with them.

He didn't answer her at first, just grabbing his sketchbook. He quickly flicked to the back and showed it to her. There, roughly drawn a number of times, was the same woman she'd seen not five minutes earlier. 'Wait, you know her?' Megabyte frowned.

'I've known her all my life.' He said wistfully. 'Alexis. Her name's Alexis… something. She lives in New York, she did when we were kids at least, probably still does.'

Jade and Megabyte silently asked a question, of course he heard it. 'I don't know. She's just always was. My best imaginary friend, whenever I needed her she was there.' There was something in Adrian's voice. he was worried about her.

'Wait, if you've known her all your life how come you didn't think of her before?' Megabyte asked.

Adrian shook his head. 'Because she was never real before. She was always my imaginary friend. I never imagined after all these years she could be real. Like you and me.'

'She is real, I've seen her and she's one of us. Now we know where.' Jade told the pair of them. 'We'll find her, Adrian. She'll be alright.'

End Chapter Seven


	8. Chapter 8

Arc of the Curve  
>Chapter Eight<p>

Kate was woken with a loud banging on her door. She'd decided to spend the night at her place, rather than Castle's loft and was just enjoying a morning where she didn't have to be up at the crack of dawn. Life though seemed to have other plans

Throwing a dressing gown over her shoulders she was about to open the door when paranoia kicked in. 'Who is it?' she asked, pulling her sidearm out of it's draw.

'Its me, Alexis.' The girl called out from the other side and Kate opened it for her. Usually Castle's daughter was impeccably dressed, very fashionable. Right now she looked like someone had pulled her through a hedge backwards. Hair uncombed, mismatching blouse and slacks, even odd shoes.

'Good god Alexis, are you okay?' It looked like she'd dressed in a hurry and she had a wild look in her eye.

'I wasn't where I was. I was somewhere else, I could feel it. I could smell it. I wasn't where I was supposed to be. I was there, but I don't know where there was. It wasn't where I was…'

Kate dropped the gun and grabbed her soon to be step-daughter. 'Alexis, take a breath. Calm down.' After a moment she gulped down some air. 'Okay, do you want some water?'

Alexis shook her head sharply, stopped and then started again. 'I wasn't there. I wasn't. Then suddenly I was again.'

'You weren't where?' Kate interrupted another burst of babble and tried to pin down what she was saying. So far it wasn't making much sense.

Guiding Alexis to the sofa Kate let the girl collapse. The detective wasn't an expert but she could have sworn the girl was in shock. 'My apartment.' Alexis got out after couple of calming breaths. 'I was in my apartment, looking at myself in the mirror then I wasn't.'

'You blacked out? Fainted?'

'I… I… No, I don't think so. It didn't feel like a dream, it felt real.'

If this had happened yesterday, or the day before, Kate would have called it a dream. Told Alexis everything was alright and not to worry. Now though, with knowing what Alexis could do, her sense of real was a little less solid than before. 'Where did you go?' She asked.

'A beach, an island beach somewhere. I don't know where, but it was far away, very far away. Like another time zone far away and I was there.'

'You're saying you teleported?' She asked the terrified girl.

After a horrified moment she nodded. 'Kate, I'm scared. I knew I could read minds, but then Detective Esposito saw me move something and now I'm going places I don't know where.' She looked up with tears in her eyes. 'Who… W… what am I?'

Kate knew the answer instantly. 'You are a bright, passionate young woman. Whatever else you can do, however scared you are, you are Alexis Castle.' She kept that thought in her head, knowing that the girl would sense that it was the truth.

Alexis was calming down, after a moment she gave Kate a smile. 'Thank you.' Then, suddenly, she spun to the door so fast it almost gave Kate whiplash. 'Someone's at the door.'

'Wha… Kate asked as there was a polite knock. Dropping her voice to a whisper Kate asked, 'You know who it is?' Alexis, eyes wide and with a hint of panic in them, shook her head sharply.

Picking up her gun Kate opened the door carefully, just a crack. Enough to see who was outside. 'Kate Beckett?' A woman in the hallway asked. She was medium hight, had dark blonde hair and a british accent. Next to her was a boy about Alexis's age.

'Yes?'

'We're here to talk to Alexis. To help.' the woman said with what was supposed to be a helpful smile.

Kate though didn't trust her. 'I'm sorry. No one called Alexis here.'

'Yes she is.' The woman said without a hint of doubt. 'We can help her, better than you can.'

Out of nowhere Alexis suddenly screamed. Startled Kate spun and half leapt to her side. 'Alexis?'

'Out, get out!' the redhead shouted, clutching at the sides of her head. 'She's terrified.' The woman said from the doorway.

'She doesn't know what's happening.' The boy agreed.

Kate kept her gun low, but made sure they both saw it as she stood to face them. 'You heard her, get out.'

The two strangers looked at each other and seemed to have a silent conversation for all of a second. 'We're here to help, that's all we want to do.' the boy told her.

'When she's ready she can call us. She'll know how.' The woman told Kate before they turned an left. The boy looking a bit reluctant before closing the door behind him.

* * *

><p>Richard gave Kate a coffee and his daughter a herbal tea. Ryan and Esposito were already on their way up. 'How you feeling?' he asked them. Alexis was paler than usual and Kate was a little cagey about it. She had been since they both arrived together.<p>

'Like we're all on the world's wildest roller coaster, and someone's cut the brakes.' Kate admitted

'I still don't understand. Alexis, you can really read minds?' Richards mother asked, sceptically. Between them they had told his mother about her telepathy. From the sound of things she was still a little skeptical. So was Richard, but he trusted Alexis. If she said it was real he believed her.

His daughter wasn't listening. Instead she was just staring at the cup in her hands. Taking a sip she put it back down carefully, lent back and just held out her hand. 'Sweetheart, what are you doing?' Richard's mother asked again. The cup shook, rattling on the table top like it was in the middle of it's own personal earthquake, before jumping the foot or so into Alexis's hand.

'Wow! Richard gasped, looking back at his mother with a grin. 'We are one talented family.'

'I, I thought you'd be frightened of me. Of what I could do.' Alexis admitted in a shaky voice.

With a cry of surprise his mother ran around the table and hugged her. 'Alexis honey, why would you ever think that?' Richard had to ask himself the same thing and that was when Ryan and Esposito came in.

'Got your call, what's up? Ryan asked seeing what was going on.

'Alexis's powers are… growing.' Kate said in a tone of voice that sounded like she was having trouble believing what she was saying. 'And we don't know why.'

'Growing?' the pair of detectives asked at once before looking at each other.

Alexis unwrapped herself from her grandmother and stood up. 'When you saw me move that bottle yesterday. I didn't know I could do that.' She admitted to Espo. 'Now I can.'

Ryan backed off a step. 'So wait, you're saying you can now read minds and move things?'

'I'm not a witch.' She snapped, obviously reading what he wasn't saying aloud. 'It's not magic. I don't know what it is.'

'Sorry.' he held his hands up. 'It's just… just I don't know what.'

Richard had a better question. 'How come this is all happening now?' he asked. 'If you've been able to read people's thoughts since you were a baby…'

'I don't know.' Alexis almost wailed and all Richard wanted to do was take hold of her. To lock the world away and make sure nothing could ever hurt her again. It went against everything he knew and all his instincts as a parent but he stood firm.

The look his daughter gave him told Richard she knew exactly what he was thinking. 'I've been… I've been using them more and more since last year.' She said after a moment. 'Before that I tried not to. It was hard, but the more I practice the better I'm getting.' She looked to Kate. 'I think that's how they found me, the other two. The ones we met this morning.'

'Wait, what's this?' Richard asked, not knowing what she was talking about.

Alexis nodded to Kate who told them. 'Now that we're all here. This morning Alexis woke me by banging on my door. She was terrified, something strange happened…'

'Detective Beckett's apartment is closer than here. I don't think I was thinking straight.' Alexis interrupted pointedly.

'Well, she was telling me about it when two strangers knocked on my door. A woman and a boy, they asked to speak with Alexis. I don't know how they knew she was there. I lied, told them she wasn't, but they saw through it. Said they wanted to help and then Alexis just screamed.' Kate finished looking to Alexis.

They were hiding something from him, Richard could tell. Whatever it was had spooked them both too much, but he wasn't going to press. There was a more important question. 'You screamed? Why?'

'They were in my head.' Alexis wouldn't look at him. She wouldn't look at anyone. 'I could hear them, feel them.'

'They were reading your mind?'

'No, but they were there. Talking to me.' She shuddered. 'Normally it's like I'm in a room with someone, they're just talking to themselves aloud as if I'm not there.'

'And this was like someone suddenly tapping you on the shoulder and saying hey.' Richard guessed, having read enough comics over the years.

His daughter nodded. 'I kinda freaked.'

'They were like you? Reading peoples minds?' Ryan asked.

'I can't think of any other way they knew I was there, or that I needed help.' She admitted.

'Whoa, we saying that there are more people like Alexis out there. Reading our minds, picking though all our secrets?' Esposito asked.

'Hey!' Richard shouted as his mother took Alexis's hand.

'It's okay.' Alexis told them. 'Detective, I don't listen in like that.'

'You might not, but what if these others do?'

Kate put her fingers in the corners of her mouth and let an ear splitting whistle. 'Everyone, this isn't getting us anywhere. Now the woman sounded English, and if they've only recently been able to track her down that means they might have just arrived in the country. We still have contacts in the TSA, I can get a description out and see if we can pick them up. While they're getting back to us with names we can focus on getting Bracken. Don't worry Castle, we can have them do it quietly. I won't even mention Alexis.'

'That's not war I'm worried about, but thanks.' Richard agreed. 'What I'm worried about is Toni, she's still out there.'

'Bro, Beckett and Captain Nelson blew her out a window.' Esposito reminded him. 'She ain't anyone's problem.'

'We saw her, after that. Trust me, she's still alive.' Kate told him. 'Don't know how they pulled it off but Castle's right. You don't think she's going to give up now do you?'

'Since when did any of them stop?' He asked remembering Lockwood and Maddox

'Dad's right, until we put Bracken away for good he'll just send her or someone else until we're all dead.' Alexis said seriously. 'We need to take him down.'

The group looked at each other, Richard couldn't help but smirk at how professional she sounded. After a few moments so did everyone else. 'I've been thinking about that.' Ryan was the one to break the silence. 'If Alexis can read minds, why not his?'

'Bracken?' Kate blinked. 'What good would that do? We know he's guilty.'

'But of what? Think about it, we've tried coming at this from every other direction. He's covered his tracks too good, what if he's the only one that knows where the gaps are.'

Alexis nodded. 'Get me close enough and I can see what I can get.'

'Hold on.' Esposito backed up. 'You want to jump in there and go rummaging around. How would you know where to look?'

'It doesn't work that way.' Alexis told him. 'You need to be thinking about something for me to hear it. But if Detective Beckett walked past him that might jog his memory.'

Richard grinned. 'Sneaky. Trick him into telling you without knowing he's told you.'

'This could work.' Kate grinned for a moment. 'Are you sure you want to do this Alexis?'

'If it keeps us all getting blown up? Oh yeah.'

Kate jumped off her chair 'Right. Ryan, Epso you find out where he's going to be. I'll get changed into something a little more professional and we'll meet up down stairs. Once we get Bracken out of the way we can track those two down.'

'What about you Castle?' Espo asked.

Richard put a hand on his daughters shoulder. 'I need a word with Alexis. Catch you up.'

'Richard, perhaps…'

'Mother, can you give us a minute?' He interrupted her.

Alexis, surprisingly was on his side. 'It's okay Grams. I can handle it.' Reluctantly Richard's mother left, but not before glaring at him. 'She thinks you're going to say something stupid.' Alexis warned him.

'She's probably right.' He admitted, remembering how he'd put his foot in his mouth with Pi.

Alexis just shook her head 'I know you didn't mean it that way.' she admitted.

Richard decided to just jump in feet first. 'Why couldn't you tell me?'

His daughter looked at him for a horrible moment before shaking her head. 'I couldn't. I just… I couldn't. I don't remember when I realised I could hear what people were thinking, or when I figured out you and other people couldn't. I just knew I was different and it scared me.'

'You could have come to me. Told me.'

'I was too scared!' She cried before hugging him. 'Do… do you remember what comic you were obsessed with when I was a kid.'

'Which one?' he laughed trying to lighten the mood.

'X-men.'

Richard swore under his breath and then winced, knowing she'd heard him. 'I owe you a dollar.'

She ignored him, pulling away so she could see his face. 'It wasn't just that, but I knew it was right. If I told you I thought you'd think I was a monster and be scared of me.'

'Never.' he promised

'And then I because I hadn't told you it became harder and harder.' she whispered. 'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.'

'You've nothing to be sorry for.' He told her

'Yes, yes I do.' she wiped the tears from her eyes. 'I'm sorry because you think it's your fault. That there was something you should have done. You're already coming up with a thousand and one times I should have told you. Thinking that I didn't because I felt I couldn't trust you. Oh daddy I'm sorry. It wasn't your fault.'

Richard shook his head. She was right, he was thinking of ways he should have been there and nothing she could say could change that. 'I might have to renounce my title as best dad ever, but I can tell you right now no matter what I love you. Even if your skin turned blue.'

'Dad.' She tried to scowl at him but the red in her eyes made it hard to pull off.

'One question I've just got to ask. When I was teaching you poker, did you cheat?'

Alexis folded her arms and huffed. 'No.' She said indigently before looking off to one side. 'Well, maybe when it wasn't important.'

Richard pulled her in for another hug. 'That's my girl.'

* * *

><p>Kevin sat shotgun while his partner was in the drivers seat. Castle and Beckett had taken her cruiser and parked on the opposite end of the street. They were outside the pile of rubble that was once the 12th, where Bracken was giving a speech to the media.<p>

After nothing else had happened and they'd caught the girl most responsible this was just a politician getting on a campaign bus. 'I'd give a weeks pay to hear what's going on over there.' Kevin grumbled.

'The senator's giving a boring speech on security, blaming disadvantaged youth culture. A couple sly digs against police brutality goading people on.' Came from the girl in the back seat. 'What?' she asked as they turned to face her

'You can hear them from back here?'

'No.' Alexis showed them her phone. She was streaming from a news station with subtitles.

'Definitely Castle's kid.' Javier smirked.

Kevin silently agreed. 'You need to get closer?'

Alexis looked back at her phone and then to the crowd of reporters. 'I can do it from here.' She took a breath. 'I really don't like this. When I read, well hear, I hear everything that they're thinking at that moment.' She shuddered. 'It's like for an instant I'm bombarded by every thought at once. I understand whoever it is I'm listening to. Like I've touched their soul. This guy had Detective Beckett's mom killed. He's tried to kill all of us. He's a monster.'

Kevin winced. It sounded horrible, but at the same time unnatural. Kevin had been raised Irish Catholic. Strictly Catholic and he couldn't help but feel mind reading was against his upbringing. 'Sorry.' he muttered after a moment, knowing she'd heard his thoughts.

'It's okay. I learnt a long time ago people think things they might not want to. If they act on it, that's when rings get bad.' She told him and not for the first time he wondered just what she'd experienced. 'There goes my dad and Detective Beckett.' She nodded to the crowd.

Kevin brought up his binoculars, so did Javier. It only took a moment for them to spot the target and their teammates. Then Bracken saw Beckett and Castle. He stiffened for a moment as they fought him off guard. 'Got him!' Kevin crowed.

At the same moment the girl in the back seat gasped. 'You did get him? Alexis?'

There was a tense moment. 'No. No. I can't…'

'Alexis?' Kevin dropped his binoculars and turned. 'We need to get closer?'

She shook her head so hard it dislodged her hair. 'I can't feel him. It's like he's not even there.'

Javier turned to her as well. 'What?'

'Guys, I don't think he's human!'

End Chapter Eight


	9. Chapter 9

Arc of the Curve  
>Chapter Nine<p>

Joe hung up his cell phone and shook his head. 'Nothing. No one has seen her since the raid this morning. Looks like I called you here for nothing.'

Adam looked up from his computer. 'Really, you think so?'

'Antonia, she's gone.'

'You sure about that?'

'Lehane Walker, the Watcher inside Internal Affaires is. They've been grilling that poor bastard Nelson all night. The guy's career's in ruins, probably going to lose his pension over this, not to mention serious jail time and he doesn't know a god damn thing. She's long gone.' Joe threw himself into a chair and sighed.

Adam on the other hand was still busy on his computer. Joe was beginning to regret paying for the wi-fi when they checked in. 'You request Antonia's file from the Watchers yet?'

'What's the point? Besides low profile remember. They wouldn't give it us and they'd know what we were doing.' Joe frowned. 'What are you doing?'

'Hacking the Watchers' Database.'

'What!' Joe grasped his walking stick and levering himself off the chair.

Adam sat back and grinned. 'I helped create it, remember. You don't think I wouldn't have left a back door or two, just in case I needed it?' He spun the screen to face Joe. He'd actually done it, hacked the database. A record of every known Immortal and their watchers for more than a thousand years.

'You sneaky son of a bitch!'

'Probably.' He spun the computer around again. 'Let's see now, ah yes.' Adam laughed. 'Thought so!'

'What?'

'Antonia, she's a real product of her time. Been reading her psychological profile, always helps. She's manipulative, cunning, but vengeful. Most of all according to the Watchers best experts she absolutely hates to leave a job unfinished.'

Joe rubbed his jaw with his free hand. 'That detective that tried to arrest her, the same one who's desk she blew up… She's not finished has she?'

'Nope.' Adam grinned again. 'The best way to find an assassin. Find their target. So what do we know about this detective?'

* * *

><p>'What do you mean. Not human?' Kate asked the young psychic. After the encounter at what was left of the 12th they'd gathered at their makeshift office in the Old Haunt. Then Alexis dropped this bombshell on them<p>

'He wasn't… he wasn't human. Not like us.' Alexis threw her hands in the air. 'I don't know how to explain it. I could sense everyone else there. You, Dad, the reporters, even his bodyguards but he… it was like he wasn't there.'

'Hologram. He'd set up a complex series of mirrors and contacted a crack team of stage magicians to craft the prefect illusion.' Castle suggested

His daughter shook her head. 'No. It was more than that. I couldn't read him, but I could still feel him. I could tell, it was like a cold shiver. I knew looking at him he wasn't human. He… felt wrong.'

'Okay, no more wild theories.' Castle admitted after a moment. Either he gave up because even he couldn't imagine something more ludicrous or he could tell Alexis was spooked. 'This ever happened before? Not sensing people.'

The red head stopped. 'Once. This morning.'

'You mean just now?'

Alexis glanced at Kate. 'No, earlier. Look something weird happened before I met you guys this morning. I don't know exactly what happened, but somehow I met someone. The same woman that Detective Beckett and I saw at her apartment. I couldn't sense her at the time.'

'The same woman that you heard talking in your mind?' Espo asked. 'I can't believe I said that.'

'Yes. I think, they said if I needed them I could call. She's the only person I've ever had trouble reading and if they're like me, if there are others…'

'What if Bracken's one of them?' Kate asked, a sudden fear coming to her. 'What if he can read minds too?'

'I don't think so.' Alexis told them. 'I didn't feel the same thing when I was there. When I saw her.' she paused. 'Look I might have been like this all my life, but I've only been practicing like ten months and now I'm finding I can move things too? We need someone that knows more about this whole telepathy thing than we do.'

'Patrick Stewart?' Castle asked. 'You know, played Professor X, Captain Picard?'

'I don't think playing one on TV makes you an expert bro.'

'If it did, you'd be a detective by now.' Ryan finished his partners joke.

Kate ignored them. 'What are you thinking Alexis?'

'The two we met this morning.' she told her. 'If they are like me, they might be the best thing we have to an expert.'

'What if Brackens is one of them?' Kate asked again.

'Have to risk it.'

'No, no.' Castle shook his head. 'No risks, not with you.'

Alexis rolled her eyes. 'Dad, you can't wrap me in cotton wool and lock me away. Crossing the road can be dangerous.'

'Crossing the road has rules, there are crosswalks.'

'So we make some rules.' She suggested. 'Like um… I can't read memories, just what your thinking right now.'

'And you can't think of something if you don't know it.' Kate smirked. 'We'll meet with them. But just me and Espo. Castle, you and Ryan take Alexis somewhere, but don't tell us. I keep my cell on speaker.'

'That way we can hear whats going on, but they can't get to Alexis.' Ryan nodded. 'You up for this bro?'

'They can't, you know, cook my brain or anything?' Espo asked nervously.

Alexis blinked in shock. 'I can't. Well I haven't tried and I don't want to.' She looked at everyone. 'It's the best idea we've got.' she offered eventually. Kate guessed she'd been listing to everyone's ideas, wether she wanted to or not.

From the way she behaved Kate got the uncomfortable feeling the college student didn't have as good a control over things as she pretended.

'They leave a phone number?' Castle asked reluctantly. It was obvious he didn't like it, but he didn't like the idea of assassins coming for them any more than Kate did.

'No. They said Alexis would call them and that she'd know how.'

'Do you?' Ryan asked.

Alexis took a deep breath. 'I think… I think it's the same way they talked to me. Telepathically. If I reached out maybe they could hear me the same way I heard them.'

'We're guessing a lot here. How do we know any of this will work?' Ryan asked honestly.

'Because it feels right, to me.' Alexis said seriously before standing up straight and closing her eyes.

'Anything?'

Alexis suddenly smiled. 'They're eating pancakes.' She jolted with a sharp gasp. 'They heard me, I can tell. Their names are Jade Wilson and… No. No it can't be. Adrian?'

'Who?'

Alexis shook her head. 'It's, you can't be. You were never real.' She gasped again. 'Alright, alright. Better be a good explanation.'

Kate looked over to Castle and saw he was just as confused. 'I've told them the plan.' Alexis continued, her eyes still closed. 'They understand. Central Park, one hour. I know where they want to meet.'

'One hour?' Castle looked around.

'Sounds good to me.' Kate nodded.

Alexis seemed to relax. 'They'll be there.' She shook her head. 'How could it be Adrian?'

'Who's…?' Espo began.

'My best imaginary friend.' She admitted, sounding like she wasn't sure she believed what she was saying. 'I knew him before I could really speak. He was never real but now he is. He said he'd try to explain.'

Espo looked confused. 'Hang on. There is no way you guys just had a discussion that long in like a minute.'

Alexis opened her mouth, closed it again and then shrugged. 'Kinda did. See I didn't need to talk we just… well… We knew what each other wanted to say.'

'If we're to get uptown in an hour we need to get going.' Kate pointed out. 'Or we could sit around here and keep talking in circles.'

'Where do they want to meet?' Castle asked.

'My favourite part of the park. The Fountain.' Alexis smiled before admitting; 'I suggested it because they've never been to the park before.'

* * *

><p>Alexis followed the gang out of the basement and then out of the bar. She liked the Old Haunt. Even though it could get crowded the idea that her father was the owner, and that he was good friends with the police, kept most of the wrong people away.<p>

As they reached the street she remembered that Bracken had people watching them. She couldn't think of a reason to get rid of them, so keeping one eye open was the best idea. As Detective Esposito and Kate headed to her cruiser Alexis felt two of Bracken's men follow them outside.

She froze as their thoughts came to her. They'd been given their orders. Bracken had enough, and he knew they were on to him. He'd told them to kill everyone. Kate, her father, Espo, Ryan. Even Alexis herself.

She could almost see the crosshairs on her dad's back. On all their backs as the gunmen chose their targets.. She could sense their heavy guns, sliding out of expensive leather holsters. The sold click of the safeties coming off,

'Dad!' She screamed a warning just that fraction too late.

The two hit-men fired.

Alexis froze.

Her father spun and fell, bouncing off Beckett's car and onto the pavement.

Beckett, drew and fired back in a flash. Her mind frighteningly, resolutely, blank.

Alexis stood there.

Ryan and Esposito dived for cover. Ryan ducking down an alley and Esposito behind another car. Their own guns in their hands before either of them realised what was happening.

The hit-men crouched on the steps down into the Haunt. Chagrined at her last second warning. Their only way out of this was to finish and they both knew it.

Alexis stared at her father.

Suddenly he was moving. She could feel the fresh stabbing pain in his shoulder the same as he could and knew he was ignoring it. He picked her up with one arm, like she was just a small baby and carried her to safety.

Hot tears were running down her face, she couldn't stop shaking.

Bullets were flying, people were screaming and he was bleeding. None of that mattered. She felt like a child again, cowering from the monsters under the bed. Monsters only her father could save her from.

'I'm okay! I'm okay!' She told him as he tried to shield her with his own body. Answering his unasked question. With terrible clarity she knew her dad was ready to die. Along as she was safe, as long as Kate was her father, Richard Castle, was more than ready to die.

'Castle! Castle are you hit?' Beckett shouted over the gunfire.

Alexis knew the answer. 'He's been shot!' She screamed back. Beckett glanced at them and began firing again. Emptying her gun at the cowering hit-men

'Oh god Oh god, what do I do? What do I do?' Alexis gasped. She was supposed to be the smart one. Clever. Wise beyond her years. Hell, she was the telepath, but all she could think about was how scared she was. How red her father's blood was. 'Pressure. I have to put pressure on… But what if there's a bullet in there?' she asked herself.

Then, out of nowhere came a thought. It wasn't hers, it was Adrian. He was asking her what was wrong.

In that moment it didn't matter that it was impossible. He was her oldest friend, he could help. In a fraction of a second Alexis threw the situation to him. Ideas, thoughts, feelings, sights, smells and sounds. She sent it all.

She found shock, anger and then determination echoing back. Then there were others. It wasn't just her and Adrian. The were more, more like her. Older, younger and from all over the world. She wasn't alone. In that moment she knew she was part of something bigger.

As one they sent her strength. The strength needed to help. If you asked her to explain it would be impossible. Like describing what blue smells like or the sound of a smile. She knew what to do and how. Holding her hands over her father's wounded shoulder Alexis pushed. Not physically but something else, energy or something.

Slowly the bullet was expelled. She could feel it leaving the same way it came in. As it did Alexis sensed the nerves boiling and somehow silenced them, calming those pain receptors like clean water washing away a stain. The bloody hole begin to knit up as his body began to heal much faster than it should be able to. Whatever she was doing made it so. In only a couple of seconds the bleeding had all but stopped.

'Castle? Castle?' Beckett was there, besides them. 'Alexis? you alright?'

The question shocked Alexis back to herself. Looking at her hands she could see some sort of red glow fading away. 'What happened?' Kate asked again.

'I… I healed… I stopped the bleeding.' Alexis gasped before looking back up. 'Dad, Dad!'

'I'm good. Ow.' he winced trying to sit up. 'Well not good, I've been shot!' her father suddenly grinned. 'That was so cool. Ow. Again Where's Ryan and Espo.'

'Chasing down the gunmen.' Beckett told them pulling out her phone. 'I'm calling an ambulance.'

* * *

><p>Kate hung up and knelt beside her husband-to-be. 'Castle, look at me. Where you hit?'<p>

'Shoulder I think.' he winced. 'Yeah. Shoulder.'

Kate held her breath. Shoulders weren't good. It could have been worse though, there was nothing like a good GSW after all. 'Can you move your arm?' she asked.

Castle lifted his arm and gasped. 'I can feel alright too. Alexis what did you do?'

'I… I don't…'

'She healed you Mr Castle.' A young woman came up to them. It was the same girl Kate had seen outside her apartment. 'Hello detective, Alexis.' she nodded to them.

'Healed? You mean she can do that, just heal a GSW?' Kate asked looking at everyone, not quite sure what to make of any of this.

The woman nodded, but it was the boy who spoke. 'Only a few of us can do it, but it is possible.'

Kate blinked at them, trying to wrap her brain around the idea, when Esposito jogged up to them. 'They got away.' He growled

'What?'

'There was a getaway car waiting for them a block down the street. Driver had a goddamn submachine gun.'

'Where's Ryan?' Kate asked, suddenly fearful

Espo waved a thumb over his shoulder. 'Calling it in. Don't worry, no one was hurt.'

'Thanks' Ryan came up, hanging up his phone. 'The licence was covered in mud, but I did get make and model. I've got traffic cameras and uniforms following them.'

Kate didn't have much hope for that. 'These guys are professionals. They'll dump the car and have another on stand by.' She sighed before turning to the two strangers. 'Thank you, I guess we don't need a complicated meeting anymore.'

'You never did.' The woman, Jade, smiled.

'We'd never hurt Alexis, or any of you.' The boy told them honestly.

Alexis smiled. 'You can trust them. I know we can.'

'What about Bracken?' Espo asked. 'Is he one of you?'

The three of them looked at each other, Kate could tell they were talking amongst themselves. 'No. He's not.' Jade said eventually. 'We don't know what he is.'

Kate let out an explosive breath. Bracken was always one step ahead, she was honestly worried that was because he was like them. If he wasn't, and it was just good planning, they had the advantage. At long last they had the advantage.

The ambulance had finally arrived, along with Gates and two unmarked cars. Kate immediately recognised the four men that got out of them. Not who, but what. 'Heads up guys, FBI are here.'

Gates was still ahead of them though. 'Beckett, what the hell happened?'

'We were hit just as we got outside.' She explained. 'They must have been waiting in the bar. Alexis shouted a warning just in time.'

'Miss Castle, again?' the Captain asked skeptically.

'She saw a reflection.' Castle supplied. 'In the wing mirror.'

Gates blinked at him. 'Are you alright Mr Castle?' she asked as the ambulance driver and his partner came over.

'Yeah, sure. Get shot all the time.' he grinned as they checked him over.

'Looks like a flesh wound. Can't be sure.' the nurse told them. 'I'd like to get him to the hospital

One of the faceless FBI officers stepped in. 'I'm afraid you'll have to see to him at our offices.' He flashed his badge. 'Detective Beckett, we have to take you and your team in for questioning.'

Kate tried to keep her face straight. 'Really, now?'

'I'm afraid so. For your protection. Come this way please.' the other one said as they tried to get behind Ryan and Espo.

'What about Miss Castle?' Gates asked.

The first agent held their ear for a moment. 'She's not in any immediate danger, we don't need to talk to her. She should however remain available.' They turned back to Kate and waved her to the car.

They might have called it escort but Kate got the distinct impression they had no choice in the matter. 'You going to be alright?' she asked Alexis, hoping she also heard the silent question she was trying not to show.

While concerned about the girl she was also worried about just what the federal agents were going to do. ''It's okay.' Alexis nodded. 'We'll be fine.'

Hiding the sigh of relief she took Castle's good arm. 'Come on, lets get this over with.'

End Chapter Nine


	10. Chapter 10

Arc of the Curve  
>Chapter Ten<p>

Richard rubbed the back of his neck with his good hand as the lift doors opened. 'I still can't believe I've been shot.' He said with a grin as they headed down the corridor to Kate's apartment. They'd spent a good part of the morning and most of the afternoon at the FBI offices downtown being grilled. They didn't have the first clue what was really going on, so Castle played dumb. Telling them about the bombing, artfully dodging the question of how they knew the device was there. Taking them through talking with Rodger Nelson and realising who was after them. Ryan and Esposito's search though the security footage. When the question about his daughter came up and how she just happened to be there he bluffed. Using the idea she was helping as dispatch and just happened to be in the wrong place in the wrong time.

He knew Kate had done the same and he could trust Ryan and Espo not to put his daughter in danger.

'Are you sure your alright?' Kate asked him. 'When I saw you…' She trailed off. The FBI had pulled an old trick on him. Promising medical treatment just as soon as he answered a couple more questions. If it wasn't for Alexis he'd have been screaming in pain. As it was it just hurt like hell. He raised his other arm against the sling and hid the wince. 'It hurt, but Alexis did a great job.' He laughed her concern off.

'She really did.' His wife to be half laughed.

Richard looked at her from the corner of his eye. 'You're taking this whole psychic daughter thing really well. I thought you'd be the first one to deny it. Saying she was imagining everything.'

Kate took a breath. 'I thought she was, at first. Now, with everything that's happened? She's either the best actress I've ever seen or she's telling the truth. Really Castle I'm shocked you're not punching the air and high-fiving passing strangers celebrating at the idea. Your daughter, the superhero.'

Richard offered his cheesiest grin. 'Just wait. When this is all done I'm going to party.' But he could tell she wasn't buying it. 'Alright I'm scared stupid. I'm supposed to help her, protect her. That's my job. How the hell can I be a dad when I don't have a clue what she's going through? I'd take a hundred bullets over feeling like this. This helpless.' he admitted. He hadn't had a chance to before and wished he could just suck the words back in.

He couldn't let Alexis know. That was what she was afraid of, he couldn't, mustn't let her realise she was right. 'Kate…'

'It's okay, it's already forgotten.' she touched his cheek before getting back to business. 'We've already wasted half a day with the FBI. I'll go inside and get my files, we'll got back to your place and see what, if anything, we missed.' He kissed her.

'I'll wait here. Keep an eye out.'

Kate nodded and unlocked her door. No sooner had she gone in than there was a voice behind him. 'You really love her don't you?'

He only half recognised it, but he knew it was bad. Richard spun, only to get an elbow to the side of his head. Seeing stars he felt himself bounce off the wall, only to get caught and punched in the gut.

Gasping for air Richard tried to call out to Beckett, but before he could breath he'd been thrown into the opposite wall. Feeling like a broken toy thrown into the trash it was all he could do to lie there and not heave.

He had to get up. Kate needed him to get up. It was easier said than done. The corridor was moving like a ship at sea and he only had one good arm to pull himself up with. Looking up he saw Kate, she had her gun drawn and was sweeping the hallway. 'Castle?'

'Watch out!' he gasped at her, but was too late. His attacker just seemed to materialise beside her. Coming out of the shadows themselves. Faster than he could see a hand wrenched the gun from Kate's hands. She tried to hold on but it was no use, it landed with a thud just out of Richard's reach.

Pushing himself off the floor he finally got a look at who was attacking them. It was Toni Hennesly. The woman who tried to blow them all up. The woman they'd tracked down, shot, dropped out of a fourth story window and had still been able to walk away. She easily blocked Kate's wild punch, slipped down and under her arm and trapped Richard's fiancée in a sleeper hold.

Half leaping, half throwing himself at it Richard went for the gun. 'Don't even.' Toni warned him. She was closer to it and, still holding the struggling Kate, kicked it down the hall. Leaving Richard, like a fish out of water, on his belly grasping at something long gone. 'Sorry you had to see this, handsome.' she smirked as Kate slumped in her arms, 'But if it helps any; this was never personal.'

With that she kicked him, hard, in the side of the head. Pain exploded in his temple and then all he knew was darkness.

* * *

><p>Alexis felt like she had know Jade and Adrian all her life. In a way she had. She couldn't read them the way she read others. Instead it was like they were a part of her. As soon as they started to describe something she could see it, almost as if she was there herself. She felt like she knew the others just as well as them and could tell they were the same.<p>

She only had to start a thought and they could follow. Whole conversations took only a couple of moments. There was no fumbling for words or vague descriptions that only sort of made the point. She knew exactly what they were trying to tell her and at the same time they followed her logic without trying.

Right now they were back at her Father's loft apartment. Grams was trying to take it all in, but Alexis could tell she was taken aback by the whole thing. Without needing to say anything the three of them were careful to include her in everything they were saying and not just fly off on tangents.

Grams, playing hostess, brought them a pot of tea. 'So, all over the world?' she asked for what felt like the hundredth time.

'Yes. There's about two dozen of us. Mrs Rodgers' Jade admitted.

'And what do you, I mean urm…'

Adrian smiled. 'We call ourselves the Tomorrow People, because that's what we are. The next stage in human evolution.'

'I see.' Grams lied, but that didn't matter because Alexis didn't understand either.

'Hang on, how are we the next stage?' She asked. 'Sorry but mind reading, telekinesis and psychic healing? That feels like a massive leap forward. Shouldn't it, you know, be more gradual than that? A little bit at a time?'

Jade threw her hands in the air. 'You'd think, but that's not what happened.'

'Alexis, you and I have always been telepathic, but it wasn't until I practiced that my other abilities began working.' Adrain admitted and she nodded. Since this all began she'd been doing things she never thought possible.

'For me it was different. There was… well never mind.' Jade waved it away, but Alexis got a strong image of some sort of seed the size of a basketball, music and something horribly alien. 'I was a normal, today person then his thing happened and boom I was a Tomorrow Person. Adam has this theory that everyone has the potential to be one of us, but unless something happens they'll never quite reach it.'

Alexis could understand what they meant, but it all seemed too easy. Then, out of nowhere, she felt a headache. It was like a dull thudding just behind her eyes. 'Whoa.' She sat back and saw he new friends were looking around. 'You feel that too?'

'Not like you, but yeah we got it.' Adrian admitted as Jade stood up.

'What's happening?' Her grandmother asked, a hint of panic in her voice.

Alexis tried to shake it off but she couldn't. 'Something's wrong.' She announced. 'I, it feels like something terrible has happened.'

'Alexis, whatever it is it's connected to you. Trust your instincts, they'll tell you what it is.'

'Right.' She closed her eyes and rather than shake off the feeling she embraced it. Like switching on a light she knew instantly what was happening. In a flash she was on her feet 'Dad! Something's wrong, he's hurt!'

'Again?'

'Oh my God Richard! Is he okay.' Alexis blocked out her grandmothers concern and reached out again.

'He's alive, but badly hurt. Outside Detective Beckett's apartment.' She told them.

Jade took charge almost on instinct. 'I'll get him, make some space. I'll be right back.' With that she closed her eyes and concentrated. With a flickering of light and snap of energy the young woman was gone.

Alexis blinked in shock. 'What the…'

'It's kinda hard to explain.' Adrian shrugged, but she already had the answer.

'We… I can teleport?' she gasped. Life as a Tomorrow Person was full of surprises.

A moment later Jade reappeared the same way she had disappears, only this time with Alexis's Father beside her. Quickly, with a low cry, her grandmother ran to his side. 'Oh dear God, call a doctor. Please, Alexis hurry.

'He'll be okay.' Alexis told her, knowing what she had to do. Between them Jade and Adrian laid him down on the couch and gave he space to work. Remembering what she had done only that morning Alexis focused on helping her dad, again.

She waved her glowing hands over him, taking time to hover over his head and the nasty gash that was there. As she did it took all her strength to stay calm. He was going to be okay. She was going to make sure of that. All the times he'd been there for her, all the times he'd been right trying to protect her. She owed him everything.

Slowly, all too slowly, the cut on his head began to close. Alexis could feel the pain draining away and then, at last, his eyes fluttered awake.

* * *

><p>Kevin Ryan was about to knock when the door opened. It was Alexis. 'How is he?'<p>

'Better, now I don't have a psycho bomber tap dancing on my head.' Castle shouted around the door. 'Get in.' He'd looked better, there was a massive bruise on the side of his head and his eyes were bloodshot.

'You sure you shouldn't be in the hospital Bro?' Javi asked.

He glared back. 'Yeah, and five minutes later the FBI would be back and they'd be more interested in questioning me than finding Beckett. Any luck with my phone?'

When Castle called, telling them what had happened, the first thing Kevin had done was get in touch with his friends in CSU to track the phone Castle had lent her. 'None. they think it's been smashed, or the battery's been pulled. How about you guys? Can't you do something?'

Alexis and her two friends looked at each other before shaking their heads. 'We wouldn't know where to start. If we just opened up to everyone it would be like having the whole city in our heads.'

'Or worse, the entire United States, even the world.' the boy told them. 'We have to be very careful or we could have seven billion different voices in our heads, all at the same time.'

Kevin shuddered away from that thought. 'Castle, did she say anything that could help?'

The writer shook his head and winced. 'She said she was sorry, that it wasn't personal and that was it.'

'Think Bro, anything you saw or felt…'

'I felt her foot Espo, everything else is kinda blurry.' he snapped back. 'She was wearing black, could barely make her out. I didn't see her until it was too late. Any luck getting through to Captain Gates?' he asked.

Mrs Rodgers put the phone down. 'All I get is a busy signal, when I'm not being bounced around from switchboard to switchboard. Richard there was nothing you could have done.'

'I was there mother, there should have been.'

'Mr Castle.' the English girl said seriously. 'I know that this doesn't mean much but when I brought you here there was no way you could have helped anyone.'

'She's right dad,' Alexis agreed. You've gone over it so many times I've seen what happened too. She blindsided you and there was no way you could have known Toni was there.'

'I should have.' Castle insisted. 'She was waiting for us, she knew Kate's phone number, we should have guessed she knew were she lived.'

'That's not helping anyone Richard.' his mother told him. 'Now you're sure Katharine's still alive, there's hope. Remember that.'

'She's right.' Kevin agreed. 'Let's think about this. We know when and we know where it happened. So all we need to do is check any security or traffic cameras around the place and then we can follow them. We're going to need your computer.'

It didn't take long to access the camera network, or to find Beckett's apartment complex. It wasn't a shabby part of town so while there were lots of cameras that meant there was a lot of footage to scroll through.

'Got it, silver cruiser.' Javi cried out eventually. 'Got a good shot of the plate too.'

'Give it to me, I'll trace it. You follow on the cameras' Kevin offered. That didn't take long, after a brief word with this contacts Kevin hung up. 'Car's registered to a dentist lives near Queen's. Stolen this morning. It was low-jacked, but they found the tracer in a deli trash can just around the corner.

'This Toni chick knows the city.' Javi told him, 'She's taking routes I didn't think were possible. Taking back alleyways, dodging traffic like was never there. I lost her somewhere near the warehouse district.'

'Damn it.' Castle swore. 'It's been two hours. She could be anywhere by now!'

* * *

><p>Kate woke up and it felt like someone had tried to rip her head off. Before she had even opened her eyes she struggled to move. She was handcuffed and tied to a chair that had been bolted to floor.<p>

Blinking she realised there was a small but powerful spotlight on her. next to it was a camera. 'Let me go!' she ordered, trying again to pull herself free with no more luck than before. 'Show yourself!' Abducting a Police officer is a serious crime, let me go!' She pulled so hard Kate could have sworn she dislocated something. the cuffs were left biting into her skin.

Gasping in pain and effort she looked around again. She was in a vast open space but couldn't make out any details. The light was blinding her. 'I want you to know I respect you Detective.' the assassin said, inviable in the darkness. 'It's not easy being a good looking woman in a man's profession. I can relate. They're always so jealous when we do it better than they ever could. Poor darlings, I swear no matter how old they get they're all just children inside.'

'You don't have to do this.' Kate warned her, she didn't need to be a rocket scientist to know what was going on. She was about to be killed, how wasn't important. 'They'll never stop looking for you.'

Toni stepped into view and behind the camera. 'No offence detective but they'll never find me. Besides, what's the worst they can do? Arrest me, shoot me? The man I'm working for is a lot more frightening.'

'Bracken.' Kate ground out between her teeth.

Toni shrugged as she walked back into shadow. 'That's what he calls himself, today at least. When I first met him it was Thorn. Whatever the name he's still a sadistic bastard. You got under his skin detective. Being on his bad side was never a good idea. With luck if I remove you he might just forget about my first failure.'

Kate struggled again, trying to guess where the killer was hiding. 'What are you talking about.'

'It's a secret Detective, one I'm not going to burden you with.' Toni appeared again, Kate's gun in her hand. With professional detachment she chambered a round and looked down the sight at her. After a beat she lowered the gun and pressed a button on the camera. 'I'm not a monster Detective. Have you any last words, a good bye to friends and family?'

She did, she had a thousand things she wanted to say. To plead with the professional killer, a final message to Richard, one more joke with Espo. There was no doubt in her mind this was it, Toni was a professional. She'd do it without blinking an eye. Keeping her voice clear and level Kate looked directly into the camera. 'I don't need to say it. Everyone already knows.' With that and a deep breath she faced her killer. 'Go to hell.'

End Chapter Ten


	11. Chapter 11

Arc of the Curve  
>Chapter Eleven<p>

Authors Note:-

Sorry, this took a little while. I didn't like how it was turning out so I went back to basics. I feel a lot better about it now. It's not perfect, but I'm happy enough to publish it.

* * *

><p>Kate was staring down the barrel of her own sidearm when nothing happened. She was sure she was supposed to be dead by now. Looking past the gun she saw her would be killer was looking around. She looked cagy, like she'd heard something she hadn't expected but couldn't tell what.<p>

'Where are you?' Hennesly shouted at the empty warehouse. 'I can feel you, show yourself.' The gun waved back and forth over Kate's head and for a moment she thought the hired killer had gone crazy.

'You know the rules. Drop the gun and face me.' A stranger shouted back and Kate gasped in relief. It might not be Castle or the others, but help was help. Hennesly didn't waste any time though and fired.

Not at her, but the shadows just out of sight. 'Did he send you? Tell him I'll finish the job!' Hennesly called out, the gun waving back and forth looking for a target. Kate struggled again to break free of the heavy chair, or get a look at her rescuer, but all she did was rock back and forth.

'No one sent me.' The voice had moved, again Hennesly shot at them. Kate could hear the bullet ricochet of concrete but still couldn't see anything. 'You're causing a mess. First the bomb, now killing a cop? The NYPD won't let this one go.' he called again.

'I know how to disappear.' Hennesly smirked. 'And I have friends in some very high places.'

'Not high enough. We both know there's only one way this can end.' Something bright flittered out of the darkness. Before Hennesly could pull the trigger again it knocked the gun out of her hand and sent it skittering out of sight. It was a knife of some kind, landing just out of reach.

Jumping away, Kate's would-be assassin ignored it, instead reaching behind her back she pulled out a long thin sword. Kate hadn't even seen the handle. It had just appeared between one second and the next when it was needed.

It didn't take long for Kate's rescuer to step into the light. He had strange, almost angular, features that were sharp against the shadows. He wore a lose dull grey jumper under a long dirty coat. In his hand he had a sword of his own. It was the same length as Hennesly's, but broader. 'Walk away.' The assassin told him. 'This isn't any of your business.'

'Would that I could.' He said sadly. 'I despise violence, but you haven't left either of us any options have you?' He way he dressed, and his thin frame, practically screamed that he was an academic of some sort. A researcher at best, even a lecturer. There was no way someone like him could take on a trained killer, but there was something about his face. The way he coldly looked at Hennesly that told Kate there was something more to him than old books and dusty libraries.

Hennesly was the first to move, she skipped forward and then back. Keeping her sword between them. Even Kate could tell she was trying to goad him into attacking first. Instead the newcomer stood firm, pulling his own sword in tight and narrowing his eyes.

From there it was like a game of cat and mouse, a back and forth between the two of them. Neither wanting to strike first they both were trying to get the other to take the first real shot. The faints and fake-outs didn't last long though and then, almost too quick to follow, they began trading blows with each other. Hennesly swing was almost too fast to see, but somehow the stranger got his own sword in the way at the last instant.

Their swords clashed loudly, flashing in the dim light. If the gunfire earlier hadn't drawn any attention neither would this. Hennesly kept up the pressure, swinging this way and that. Kate was no expert, but there was something about how she held that sword of hers that was professional. As the fight continued Kate could see Hennesly was faster, but the stranger was lucky. Always blocking just in time, or at the last moment what looked like tripping up and somehow dodging a savage swing at the same time.

Hennesly used that gap to pull a derringer, a tiny pistol just a fraction bigger than her hand, from her back. The little gun was almost useless at distance, but this close up it was lethal. 'Watch out!' Kate shouted.

With a lightning fast back handed blow the stranger knocked it away before dancing around Hennesly as she tried to swing her sword back into position. He was one step ahead and used the breathing space to pull back. Hennesly didn't follow and the two circled each other again.

Kate wasn't going to just sit there and let two psychopaths hack it out. As they waited for the other one to make the next move she struggled against her cuffs. Glancing from the fight to where the small gun had skittered to a stop. Her own sidearm was lost to the darkness and it was the only weapon in reach.

One bullet, two people. It wasn't perfect, but it was better than nothing. Which was what she had. That meant getting free first, which was impossible. There was no way she was strong enough to break the cuffs, or the heavy, solid chair she'd been chained to.

Hennesly broke the stalemate with a charge. Using her speed she moved in what even Kate could tell was a well practiced routine. Blow after blow trying to rattle her opponent. Only something was wrong, Kate's rescuer wasn't backing down and he wasn't half as slow as he had been earlier. Then, almost was if he'd been waiting for the right moment, he parried the sword out of the way and kicked Hennesly hard in the face.

The assassin stumbled backwards, her nose broken and bloody. Throwing her hair back Hennesly glared at him; 'You're better than you let on.' She accused, backing off even further.

'Never let your opponent know all your moves. Basic tactics.' He replied and flipped his sword into a reverse grip. Hennesly hesitated, before going on the offensive again.

Kate could see she was desperate, her speed had become almost frantic while his was steady and methodical. Still, in her frenzy Hennesly was pushing the stranger back, step by step, stroke by stroke. As she grew even faster his face seemed to lose all emotion, becoming a blank mask as grim as death itself. Hennesly's attacks were a blur now, but her face showed fear. Even so she kept pushing him backwards until he was pinned. She'd forced him into a support column and he had nowhere left to go.

With a scream of triumph Hennesly swung high, going for his neck, but at the last moment he stepped to the side. Letting the sword swing freely and bury itself in the concrete. Hennesly's sword much have hit a light switch, Kate could almost see the electricity fly up the column, like reverse lightning, until it hit the light above them and the bulb exploded in a shower of sparks.

The stranger sidestepped again, drawing his sword across her stomach. Then, in the same move, he brought the blade down on her still outstretched arm. His razor sharp blade cutting it off at the elbow. Hennesly screamed as she doubled up around her stump. She fell to her knees, gasping for air as the sparks still fell. Calmly, that detached, hollow expression still on his face the stranger levelled his sword on the back of her head.

'He'll, he'll kill you for this.' Hennesly said between breaths.

The stranger shrugged. 'Someone's bound to one day.'

Kate watched, helpless, as he brought his sword up and then sharply back down. The sword making a distinctive swoosh as it swung. Hennesly fell with two solid thuds. Kate's best lead, her only connection between the bombing and Bracken, was dead. Beheaded by some guy with a sword in an abandoned warehouse and all she could do was watch.

'Damn it. You didn't have to kill her.' Kate told him, still struggling with the cuffs.

He turned to face her. 'I did. Now if I was you I'd close your eyes. I really hate this part.'

'What, you just killed my suspect! You're under arrest!' Kate threatened, knowing it was ridiculous, but she didn't have any other ideas. She was about to try and convince him find the keys to get her free when something strange happened. Hennesly's body seemed to shudder and then move. Not jerk or spasm, as dead bodies have been known to do, but actually rise up. Not believing her eyes Kate watched as it began floating about half a foot from the ground. 'How, how are you doing that?'

A white mist gathered around the headless corpse and began to spread out. The lights all around them began to light up on their own. At first brighter than daylight, then barely a candle light between them. Pulsing, back and forth, like a heartbeat. A heartbeat getting stronger and stronger. The mist, now around Kate's feet as well as the stranger's, became suddenly charged with lightning. Arcs an inch or so across flew across the floor, going this way and that but drawn, like a magnet, to the stranger.

He screamed in pain as the bolts hit him, one after another. Kate couldn't even see him as the lights above flared so bright that they melted. With what Kate guessed was a final scream the stranger threw his arms wide and she was thrown back by a massive blast she couldn't see, cracking her skull on the hard warehouse floor.

She wasn't sure how long she was out but Kate woke up in the back seat of a car, an ice pack pressed to the back of her head. 'Wha…' She blinked as she looked around. She was outside Castle's apartment, but had no idea how she'd gotten there. 'You might have a headache. Nothing I can do about that.' A half familiar voice told her.

It was the stranger, he was sat in the drivers seat reading what she could have sworn was a Harry Potter book. She pulled away from from him and tried to get out quick, but the door was locked. 'Who are you?' she demanded, wincing at the stabbing pain behind her eyes as she fumbled with the handle.

'A doctor, amongst other things.' He folded the book up and sighed theatrically. 'Alright, here's the deal. I've already called in a tip. You're friends in uniform should get around to it eventually. You can tell them the truth about what happened, but you did after all take a nasty blow the head. They won't believe it. You don't have a name, my finger prints aren't on any file and by the time you get my description out there I'll be so far out of the county you'll have better luck finding a yeti in the sahara desert.'

'You said it yourself there's nowhere we won't look.' Kate told him holding the ice pack to what she could tell was already a massive lump.

'For a cop killer. I didn't kill you and if the price of saving your life is having an excellent excuse for not coming to this hell hole of a town again, please.'

'She was my only lead, my only proof.' Kate pointed out.

He laughed. 'You really think she'd have talked? Believe me, you'd have died of old age before she gave you the time of day. There must be others, find them. Follow the paper trail, or whatever it is you do.'

She just glared back at him, lost for words. 'Now I cleaned up. There's no evidence either of us were there. Take a day off with that head and you'll be fine.' He reached over to the passenger seat and pull out a plastic bag. Kate could see what had to be her cuffs and gun inside. He got out, walked around the car and then, almost like a professional driver, opened the door for her.

'Safety locks?' She asked as she got out. He gave her the bag, she could tell at a glance he'd unloaded the gun, stripped the clip and even pulled the slider off. she'd have to rebuild the whole thing before she could use it again.

'Never can be too careful.' He smiled. You'd never have believed the man had just been in a sword fight, let alone beheaded someone. He was either a sociopath, professional killer or worse. Both. Getting back into the car he nodded to her. 'Goodbye Detective.'

With that he pulled away. Desperate Kate tried to get the license plate, but it was covered in mud. Best she could do was make, model and colour. None of which would do any good if he was professional. The car would be ditched and burnt before she could get Ryan or Esposito on it.

* * *

><p>Richard handed his fiancée a cup of coffee. She practically inhaled it. 'Thanks, but I think I need something stronger.'<p>

'Grams put something stronger in it.' Alexis told her as she took a look at the bruise on the back of Kate's head. 'You'll be okay, I think. I'm not a doctor, but it doesn't look serious.'

'Oh, then I could really do with another coffee.' Kate admitted. She had just told them what had happened and Richard was lost for words. On one hand Kate was safe and, other than a nasty bump to the head, healthy. On the other he'd missed an actual sword fight.

'What the hell is going on?' Esposito exploded. 'It's like we got sucked into the twilight zone! Lightning, sword fights, mind readers? What's next, Captain Kirk complaining there's a man outside the window?'

'There's some… thing on… the wing…' Richard did his Shatner impression, but his heart wasn't in it.

'Really? Now bro?' Espo asked as Ryan got off his phone.

'Uniforms found our headless assassin. A tip lead them to a warehouse, like you said.' He told them. 'Gates wants us there.'

'You and Javi go, see what you can find.' Kate told them, wincing. 'I'm in no condition to drive.'

'I can fix that.' Alexis offered.

'Oh no. I'm taking the night off. Thanks Martha.' Kate pointed out before taking the second coffee Richard's mother had made her.

'That's a good idea, get some sleep, recharge the batteries.' She mothered them automatically. 'You too.' she turned to Alexis and her new friends. One, Adrian, was busy with a pad of paper.

'Something wrong?' Richard asked him.

For a moment the boy didn't answer, then suddenly he looked up. 'Oh sorry. I was just, you see…'

'Adrian's an artist. A good one.' Alexis told everyone. 'While Detective Beckett was telling everyone what happened he…'

'… I sort of listened to what she was seeing.' He admitted and turned the paper around. It looked like the person Kate had described.

'That's him, how? Thought you could only hear, not see.' Kate blinked.

'It's difficult to explain.' Jade told them. 'But if someone focuses and thinks hard about an image Adrian can usually pick it up.'

'It's easier if it just happened.' Adrian shrugged. 'The memories are still fresh.'

'Could I?' Ryan took the sketch. 'I'll see if anyone at the crime scene recognises him.'

Richard could see a problem. 'How are you going to explain where you got that?'

Ryan looked to Esposito. 'We'll think of something on the way. Come on.' The two detectives left the apartment. Grumbling all the way about getting stuck with the worst jobs.

'We better be going to.' Alexis suddenly said.

'Going, but… What?' Richard blinked hard. 'Going where, its gone midnight.'

'Not where we're going.' She told them. 'Come on.'

Jade shook her head. 'It will still be there tomorrow you know.'

'I've waited all my life for this, okay. I need to see it.'

Richard looked at the two of them, 'See what?'

'I'll tell you later.' Alexis was practically hopping from foot to foot. 'So how do we do this?'

Adrian and Jade nodded to each other. 'It's best if we do it first and carry you. You don't want to miss and end up in the middle of the ocean.'

'Good idea.'

'Middle of the… What are you talking about and where are you going?' Richard asked point blank.

Alexis pulled a face. 'They, we, kind of have, well an island. It's in the South Pacific. Just a little one. Not much more than a beach and a couple of rocks, but I've got to see it.'

Kate put her coffee down and stood up. 'An island?' She asked before Richard could. 'How did you get an island?'

'We found it.' Jade shrugged. 'Adam did least. He's kind of our leader, well he's the oldest of us and has the most experience with all this.'

'So he found an island in the South Pacific.' Richard reasoned out. 'And you have to go and see this rock right now?'

'It's not the rock, it's what's on it. Or under it.' Alexis admitted.

Kate half raised a hand. 'Still not answered my question. How are you going to get there? We're in New York. The South Pacific is on the other side of the planet.'

'Oh that's easy, same way we got dad here.'

Richard looked to Kate. Alexis was deliberately avoiding the question, she never did that. 'It's easier if we show you.'

'If it's all the same to you kids I'm going to be over there.' Richard's mother grabbed the bottle of whiskey and refused to look at any of them.

'We'll be back in the morning.'

'From… this island?' Kate began

'In the South Pacific?' Richard finished

'Yep.' Alexis grinned at them and then closed her eyes. Adrian and Jade took her hands and the three of them began to glow. Their outlines flickered and then snapped into three thin lines that shrunk into a single dot. With a crack of light the dot vanished.

'Did they just teleport?' Richard asked. Not believing what he was thinking, let alone saying.

Kate's mouth worked a couple of times before she gave up. 'I hate this week.' She eventually said.

End Chapter Eleven


	12. Chapter 12

Arc of the Curve  
>Chapter Twelve<p>

Kevin pulled up the car and got out, a fraction behind his partner. 'All I'm saying is we don't know anything.' he told him.

'Bro, just 'cause things are weird right now does not mean we're completely wrong.' Javi told him.

'We've got to be careful here. I mean this could be anything.'

'You really believe that? Anything?' Kevin's partner pressed. 'So I gotta believe in aliens, ghosts and all that Castle stuff?'

'You explain it then. What Beckett saw, hell what Alexis can do' He said in an urgent whisper.

'I'm not a scientist and I'm not Beckett.' Javi pointed out 'It's not my job to explain things. Just to find out what happened, then arrest the bad guy.'

'An interesting summery detective.' Gates said as she walked up behind them. 'Perhaps I should have to transferred to the academy when they close us down.'

'No thanks Captain.'

'Is that going to happen, close us down I mean?' Without a precinct building he could see the team being split up and transferred across the city. Never to work together again.

'Not if I can help it, but unless we get good results and prove we're better together to the Commissioner we might be lucky to even keep our jobs.' Captain Gates admitted. 'The vultures are circling boys and it's all I can do to keep them off our backs.' She sounded tired, Kevin would be to having to deal with city hall politics. 'Where's Beckett?'

'Urm…'

'After the last couple of days they've had a lot happen so Castle thought it was going to be a slow night and they were off the clock…'

Gates held her hand up, stopping Javi; 'That's more than enough.'

'They'd just had a few drinks and it wasn't safe for them to drive' Kevin tried to make it sound a little better.

She gave him a skeptical look. She might know they were hiding something but as long as she didn't know Beckett was there when it all went down they were good. 'Captain, Beckett's been seeing someone around these last few days.' Kevin jumped in. 'She didn't think they were following her, at first, but he she keeps catching him out of the corner of her eye.' It was the best story they could come up with.

Javi handed her the sketch. 'I didn't know she was such an artist.' Gates admitted.

'She's not, Alexis had one of her friends do it.'

'So, rather than utilising official city resources you are using a college student's friend to produce sketches of possible suspects.'

Javi shrugged 'Budget cuts?'

Gates gave him back the drawing. 'You mean friend, or like minded friend?' She asked, and watched the two of them nod. 'Okay, see what you can get on this guy after you've finished here. I'll talk to Beckett tomorrow about keeping me in the loop.' With that she stalked away.

'You think we'll get anything?' Kevin asked looking at the drawing

'Won't hurt to try.'

* * *

><p>Richard woke up to a knock on his bedroom door. 'Dad, you in there?' It was Alexis.<p>

Blinking the sand from his eyes he sat up to find his daughter with two steaming mugs of coffee. One for him and one for Kate. He managed an inarticulate grumble and reached for to one she was offering him.

'Morning to you too.' she said, sounding far too cheerful and far too awake. 'Dad, can I ask a favour? You see I haven't had breakfast yet, then I kinda got carried away and I offered to make some for the guys and then I remembered I really don't have anything in my apartment right now save for left over take out.'

Richard blinked as the caffeine hit his system. 'What?'

'Can I invite them over, I promise we won't eat everything and we'll be real quiet if you or Detective Beckett want to sleep.'

It took another moment or two or his addled brain to put together what she was saying to him. 'What time is it?' Kate asked, rising her head from the pillow

'Eight. Urm, quarter to.' Alexis told them

'We should be up soon anyway.' Kate grumbled. She was more of a morning person than he was, but that wasn't saying much.

After another mouthful of coffee what his daughter had asked finally made sense. 'Yeah your friends can come over. We'll be out when we've got changed.'

'Thanks dad.' Alexis grinned at them both and left. It didn't take long for the two of them to throw on something that wasn't PJ's and head into the living area.

Alexis certainly wasn't alone. There were five other kids there. The oldest looked like they were in their mid twenties, with Richard's daughter and her, formerly, imaginary friend Adrian as the youngest. The oldest was behind the kitchen counter, it looked like he was cooking something with Alexis's help. 'Dad' she waved him over. 'This is Adam. He's kind of the leader, of us. Sort of.'

'Hello Mr Castle. I know you said it was alright, but I didn't want us to eat all your food so I brought some of my own. We've only used a few spices and we'll wash up.' He sounded Australian and very laid back with an easy confidence that was friendly but not imposing.

'Thank you.' Richard didn't know what else to say.

'We've got enough for you and Detective Beckett as well.'

Alexis nodded. 'He really is a good cook. Ami told me.' She waved at an attractive young woman with dark skin and a sunny smile.

'He is.' she told them in a London accent.

'So, you're from all over the world?' Kate asked carefully, sitting down on one of the stools at the kitchen counter

'Mostly.' the red haired boy told them as he threw a grape into his mouth. ' We're not everyone. There's like what another dozen Tomorrow People?'

'Sounds about right.' Jade agreed. 'We think everyone could be. The potential is there, only a few of us seemed to have reached our level though.'

'Tomorrow people?'

'That's what we call ourselves.' Alexis explained.

'Telepathy, telekinesis and, of course, teleportation.' Adrian picked up the exposition. 'That's what we can do, all of us.'

'But some of us are better at something's than others.' Alexis shrugged. 'And of course there are other things we can do.'

'Alexis is a fantastic healer, but you already both know that.' Adrian praised her. 'It's one of the most difficult things while Megabyte is good with computers.'

The red haired boy waved a hand and Richard saw his phone fly into his hand. He waved his fingers over it and, without pressing a button, it came to life. Somehow he skipped passed the passcode and was zipping through the apps. Another wave and it turned off.

'If there's more than a dozen people like you, where are they?' Kate asked, still frowning as Richard checked his phone for damage.

'Most of us just want to get on with our lives. They're not afraid of who they are, or what they can do. They just don't want it to define who they are.' Adam told her as whatever he was frying began to sizzle.

'We sort of just ended up as the welcoming group. When someone like Alexis is first discovering their abilities we're usually the ones that have to tell them what they need to know.' Ami explained.

Richard was having a hard time keeping track. The way they kept picking up what each other was saying was either well rehearsed, or some form of instinct, but there was something more important. 'What do you need to know?' He asked his daughter

'It's the spider man thing; great power, responsibility. All that stuff.' Megabyte answered instead.

'Like not robbing a bank.' Alexis told them, 'Or using my powers when I shouldn't. So no teleporting over to Paris for lunch, or sneaking into pop concerts. Not that I'd do those things…'

'None of us would.' Jade announced. 'All of us are civic minded and honest. It's like it's hardwired into us or something.'

'Speaking of.' Adrian winced. 'We should tell them too.'

Adam looked up. 'Are you sure?'

'Alexis is.'

'They need to know.' she agreed.

'Need to know what?' both Richard and Kate asked at the same time.

At Adam's nod Alexis came around the counter. 'There's really one rule. We can't hurt anyone or anything. They… We call it the prime barrier. It's like this mental block if we try to injure or fight someone something stops us. We don't know what it is but we freeze up. We can't do anything.'

'That's good.' Richard told her, but he could see there was something more.

'Dad, being a Tomorrow Person can be… Dangerous. It's another reason a lot of us chose not to get involved. We can't fight back, not even to defend ourselves. Adam, Megabyte, the others. They've all come close to not being here.'

'There were others. Good friends that didn't make it.' Megabyte admitted. He suddenly sounded very somber and serious. 'It's part of that civic minded thing. If something's happening we usually get involved somehow and some of us don't come back.'

Richard could almost feel the dread running up his spine. There was one word they were avoiding. Dead. This could kill her. 'No, you can't.'

'Alexis, don't do this.' Kate added desperately.

She shrugged. 'I do have a choice here. I could just leave it to them. You know, not my problem. It's not like they're forcing me. I just feel like it's the right thing to do. What if something goes wrong and I could have stopped it. I could have helped.'

'Or not. You could be hurt for no reason.' Adrian spoke up. 'You think you need to help, but we might not need you. You'll be putting yourself in danger for no reason'

'If you guys don't want me…'

'We want you to make your own decisions, but it has to be an informed decision.' Adam told her. 'We'll support you on whatever it is. And so will your father.'

Richard knew they were hearing his thoughts, he was screaming them so loud he was sure they could, even if they hadn't been psychic. They were right. He didn't want her to do this. He wanted to lock her in her room, barricade the door and hire an elite team of ninja to protect her for every waking second. But it wasn't up to him. It was her life and her choice. He'd worry about her anyway and he knew his daughter, if it was something she wanted to do, something se felt she had to he'd have better luck trying to push back an ocean than changing her mind. The only thing he could do was the right thing. Let her decide and worry about her anyway. Alexis threw her hands around his neck. 'Thanks Dad. Don't worry I'll stay safe and I promise not to get hurt.'

'We'll keep her safe. As best we can.' Ami told him.

'Alexis, are you sure about this?' Kate asked her as she let go of Richard.

'Sure I am. I mean how many girls get to save the world from alien invasions!'

Both Kate and Richard were stunned. 'What?'

* * *

><p>Joe woke up feeling his years. 'That is the single most uncomfortable bed in history.' He grumbled as he tried to shuffle around. It was just swallowing him up. Instead of springs it was made of some fancy foam that probably had along made up name that made no sense to a country boy like him. 'Adam, you awake?'<p>

To save on money they'd ended up getting a single hotel room that wasn't big, but still had two beds. and a separate restroom. 'Did anyone tell you; you snore loud enough to wake the dead?'

'No. Anyone ever tell you even immortals need sleep?' Joe was able to crane his head around and saw his friend sat at the small table, researching something on that computer of his.

'Depends on the age.' He told him. 'I followed that Detective, good thing I did. Long, or Toni Henersley as she called herself, jumped Beckett outside of her apartment. Kidnapped her and was going to kill her in a warehouse of things. Even had a video camera set up just to record the whole thing.'

'We knew she was sociopath.'

'No, she was scared. So scared she wanted to prove to whoever it was that hired her that the job was done.'

'Was it?' Joe asked reaching for his legs.

'No, I got there in time and dealt with Long. Left the Detective with just enough questions to keep her going nowhere until we get out of town.'

'Then we should be going. Like now.'

'Not yet. Something's wrong, this whole thing stinks.'

'You've got to be, Methos you're the one that never wanted to come here, now you want to stay?' Joe half exploded. 'After you stick our neck out to the cops? We gotta be in Mexico before the sun sets or we're both looking at a very long stretch in prison. Buddy.'

'For saving a cop's life? Not going to happen, we've got some time.'

Joe didn't believe that and wanted his legs ready for a quick getaway. 'So what stinks?' he asked strapping the prosthetics to his stumps.

'Just before I took Long's head she said he'd kill me. I want to know who he is. He might be another immortal. The problem is there's nothing. After that false Gathering back in eighty four we all gave this place a wide berth. Watchers noticed that and stayed away too, there's not been a report from or even about New York in nearly two decades. The perfect place to hide.' He growled pushing the laptop away. 'should have thought of that.'

'Don't you already know? I mean you took her head, that means you know what she knew, right?'

Adam squinted at him. 'How long you been a Watcher Joe, you know it doesn't work that way. What do you guys in the field do anyway, just place bets on who's going to win?'

It was Joe's turn to look skeptical at him. 'How many Watchers you know actually talk to you guys?'

'You trying to tell me all these years and you've never even known that?' Adam shook his head. 'Sure we get the power, but we get the baggage as well. Problem is we won't know what that is. At least not consciously.'

Adam sat back, rocked the chair onto two legs and put his feet up. 'Say one of us is terrified of spiders, like it was psychological. A deep seated arachnophobia from when they were a kid. Take their head you get it, you might not know you have it and it might not be as acute, but you suddenly hate spiders to. You'll never know why just that you do. They might have a very good reason. You just get the result. That's why Dark Quickenings are so dangerous. It's not your conscious mind that gets messed with, its your subconscious.'

Joe thought about that for a moment. 'So you don't get memories so much as instinct. How do you know it's your instincts that are telling you this is wrong?' He asked, worried it wasn't his friend in the drivers seat, so to speak.

'It's probably not.' he admitted. 'She was terrified, I know that much. More afraid of them than me, and I was there with my sword. Whoever it is they are powerful, scary and for some reason want Detective Kate Beckett of the NYPD very dead.'

'And they aren't afraid doing it publicly.' Joe thought back to the explosion demolishing the Detective's precinct and the assassination attempt outside the bar.

Fastening his last straps Joe pulled himself to his feet. Lurching around for a few steps he felt what was left of his legs settle into place. Grimacing Joe lent onto his stick. 'So you're looking into this out of the goodness of your heart? Doesn't sound like you buddy. Want to take some time, get your thoughts together.'

'You think I'm not myself? It's me Joe. I'm too old and use to this sort of thing. It would take a lot more than some sociopathic aristocrat to unseat me.' He chuckled. 'No what's got me is Long was smart, damn smart at hiding. She could have run and we'd never find her, but she knew she couldn't get out of his reach. Whoever was pulling her strings has a very long arm. There's no point in running when there's nowhere to go.'

'God damn it.' Joe grunted. 'Who'd have that sort of power?'

'That's just it, I don't know. But imagine if I'm right. If it's another immortal doing this. He has to be important, connected to a lot of interesting places and have the money he needs to hire a professional. Several professionals.

'I've been looking into our research on the Detective. Mysterious shootings, murders, dead ends are just the start. There's been at least three other highly trained assassins sent after her. Some connected to the military, others to mobsters and gangs across the city and all the time still flying under the radar. Invisible to mortals and Watchers alike.'

Joe weighed up their options. 'You sure running is out of the question?'

'With your legs?' Adam smirked bringing the chair down. 'Until we know who this guy is and how long a reach he has we wouldn't know when to stop.'

'We both know there's only one person out there with the answer, don't we?' Joe sighed.

Adam smirked; 'Get out of Dodge if you want, I've got a deal to make with the sheriff.'

* * *

><p>Captain Gates knocked on the door to Mr Castle's apartment. while outwardly she still had no time for the spoilt rich boy, playing at being a law enforcement officer she had to admit his partnership with Beckett and the rest of the team worked. Cases that would have sat unsolved for decades or more just seemed to unravel before them and their unorthodox approach.<p>

The door was opened by Alexis Castle. Victoria didn't have a clue how to deal with this young woman. It was blatantly absurd that she could read peoples minds, on the other hand you couldn't ignore the the evidence. 'Captan Gates, hi come in.' Miss Castle. 'Dad, Kate, it's captain Gates. She want's to know why you weren't there last night.'

Victoria tried to hid the wince but knew it was pointless. Inside Castle's apartment was mostly one large room, divided into areas. It was exactly as she thought it would be; expensive designer fittings, but somehow comfortable. Like Castle himself it should have been ridiculous but ended up charming.

It was also crowded. As well as Beckett and Castle there was his mother, Alexis and a group of five other young people Victoria didn't recognise. 'Captain. I'm sorry, it's kind of difficult to explain.' Beckett came to her feet.

'Well we can start with who your friends are.'

Castle coughed uncomfortably. 'They're Alexis's friends.'

'We're like her, or she's like us.' A handsome young man said in a odd accent. 'Hi there, I'm Adam and don't worry, we're not evil, or trying to takeover the world, or anything like that, but if you're uncomfortable we can go.'

'It's not that it's…' She began before stopping. Whatever front she put up was pointless, they already seen through it. Hell they'd probably already seen through her own thoughts. Being in the same room as six mind readers would make anyone uncomfortable.

'It's okay, we can go.' A girl with dark skin and an English accent said understandingly.

'Besides you wanted to talk to Detective Beckett and Mr Castle alone.' Another English girl said easily.

Victoria tried to follow the conversation. It was like one person was talking, but through each of them. Beckett got her attention, 'You'll get used to it.' She told her.

'We'd all better get back home anyway. Thank you Mr Castle for letting us use your kitchen.' the young man next to her said with an easy smile.

Before Victoria could say anything else Adam seemed to glow before vanishing in a crack of light. As she gaped the others did the same.

'What was that?' She gaped. If it wasn't some cheap parlour trick it was obvious they could do a lot more than just hear people's thoughts.

'That's a long story and right now I need to get bed.' Miss Castle shook her head. 'I've been up all night and according to some people I need it.' She half glared at her grandmother. She did look tired, but at the same time wide awake. Victoria had been the same herself a few times. It usually meant lots of coffee and cramming for a test the next day.

'Oh Alexis, I didn't mean…'

'No it's alright. I am tired. Is it okay if I staying my old room?'

'Of course it is.' Mr Castle told her and she headed off upstairs, with a quick look his mother followed. Leaving the three of them.

'Do I want to know what just happened?'

The couple looked at each other, shrugged and then at the same time said; 'No not really.'

Then Beckett added. 'It's not got anything to do with the case. So what happened last night, do you really want to know?

Victoria took a moment, from the way Beckett asked it was a lot more than a couple of drinks when they thought they were off duty. 'Yes, yes I do. Start at the beginning.'

End Chapter Twelve


	13. Chapter 13

Arc of the Curve  
>Chapter Thirteen<p>

Victoria could honestly not believe what she was hearing. 'This is insane.'

Beckett waved her hand. 'You're not wrong.' She admitted. 'That's why we can't even begin to find them. We have nothing, a face maybe, but that's it. Could be long gone by now. Even if we do contact transport authorities, put out an bolo, what do we put on the description? Saved my life?'

'How about murder.' Victoria snapped back. 'You're a witness…'

'To what? Him beheading her? The indoor thunderstorm? I'm not a reliable witness Captain. If one hint of any of this gets to a lawyer they'll tear the whole precinct apart. What's left of it.'

'I won't risk the reputation of my precinct for one person Detective.' With that she realised Beckett had backed her into a corner. She shook her head and stood up. Victoria took the moment to look around again, the three of them were in his studio apartment. An apartment that would have cost Victoria a year's pay on rent alone. For all his faults Mr Castle had good taste, and the money to afford it. What got under Victoria's skin in the first place was that he didn't need to play detective. Over the years though she'd become worried he wasn't playing. 'So, where do we go from here?'

'Let's think about it.' Mr Castle said. Once again behaving like an overgrown child. 'On the one hand we've got a suspect, locked up and ready to go to trial. The problem there is we can't connect her to Bracken. Not without our friend Toni, who unfortunately can't do that because she's missing her head. Now we can connect our suspect and Toni easily.'

'Through a clue gained by your telepathic daughter.' Victoria pointed out, amazed that she could say it without a hint of sarcasm.

'Right. I'm no expert, but I'd say that might not hold up in court. So what we need to do make sure have a cast iron connection between our bomber and our assassin.' Mr Castle pointed out.

'What about Bracken?'

'Detective, other than your hunch we have nothing on the Senator. As you know all too well he's very careful and almost untouchable.' Victoria sighed. 'It's possible that he isn't connected and is just taking advantage of the chance.'

Beckett stood up and began pacing 'Too much of a coincidence, and what about those gun men outside the Old Haunt? No, he's after us and if we don't get him this time he's not going to give us another chance. It's only a matter of time before my car's brakes get cut, or a drive-by shooting while we're at a crime scene.'

Victoria frowned. 'Why hasn't he done that already? If you think he's capable of blowing up a police station…'

'We have evidence, nothing he can't squeeze out of but we errr…'

'Exaggerated it.' Beckett admitted. 'Truth is we've been bluffing him. He thinks we have enough to destroy him, but we're not using it because of Montgomery.'

'But he's guessed your bluff?'

Castle shrugged. 'That, or he thinks we'll take him down anyway and is trying to get there first.'

They were interrupted by a knock on the door. Given what they were just talking about it wasn't much of a surprise that the first thing Beckett did was grab her gun. Much to Victoria's relief Mr Castle wasn't licence to own a firearm but that didn't stop him from trying to get between her and door.

After a silent moment the two of them nodded and Castle crept up to the door, no sooner had he got there than there was another knock. Victoria drew her pistol, but let them take the lead. 'Who is it?' Castle asked before half jumping to one side, as if expecting gunfire.

'My name's Joe. Joe Dawson.' They called back. 'I need you're help with something Mr Castle, and perhaps I can help you and Detective Beckett.'

'What with?'

'Last night. I know what happened. Maybe even better than you do.'

The three of them shared a look. 'I don't know, what happened last night?'

'Detective Beckett witnessed a… Beheading.'

'How…?'

'I know the guy that did it.' He admitted.

* * *

><p>'Nothing.' Javier didn't know if he should be angry or glad. 'You get anywhere.'<p>

'The same as you.' His partner shrugged. After catching up on what the uniform's knew, which turned out to be zilch, they'd split up. Javier looking for evidence and Ryan witnesses. After a couple of hours they met back up at their cruiser. 'These warehouses have been abandoned for months, most of the companies that owned them didn't survive the financial crisis. Can't even afford security.'

'No one, not even squatters?'

Ryan shook his head. 'Their too big and draughty. Without heat or lights it's easier to find a place in the city. Hennesly must have tapped the mains.'

'She did.' Javier confirmed. 'But she did a bad job of it. Overloaded the breakers and blew it, big. When the Uniforms got here there were still electrical fires and the whole place looks like hell'

'That the official line?' Ryan asked skeptically. Knowing as well as he did the real reason for the electrical damage.

Opening the car Javier shrugged 'Hey, I'm just telling you what they told me. I can give Gates and the others the report. Want me to drop you off at home?'

'If you could, Jenny's probably worried about me.' Ryan got in. 'Hey heard from Lanie?'

Javier started the car and they pulled away. 'Yeah. She's taking some time off to visit her sister, she'll be back in a couple of days.'

'Anyone told her about Alexis yet?'

'Not me, and I ain't going to. She wouldn't believe me.'

'Same here, with Jenny I mean.' Ryan admitted. 'It's just… I'm Catholic and so's she. How can I tell her one of my best friend's kids is… what? A mind reader? A witch?'

'Bro, I don't know. All I do know is this worlds a lot more complicated today and might be worse tomorrow. We just gotta take it as it comes.'

* * *

><p>When the door opened Joe found himself looking down the barrel of a nine millimetre. It was being held by a pretty woman with dark brown hair. Only there was nothing pretty about the look in her eye. Not that he could blame her. When you had people after you paranoia was a survival trait.<p>

'Hand over the sick.' She told him.

'Can't walk without it.' He admitted, tapping his false legs. 'Landmine, back in Vietnam. Haven't been able to dance right since.'

The only man Joe could see, that had to be the writer Richard Castle, winced. That just left the dark skinned woman. She also had a gun, but wasn't pointing it at him. 'Can I come in?' he asked.

'Sure.' The writer agreed, crossing the apartment and pulling out a chair from his counter. Limping after him Joe was glad to see it had a high seat, which meant he wouldn't have too much trouble standing back up.

'So, Mr Dawson, what can you tell us that we don't know. Start with the name of the man that rescued me.' Joe could hear the edge in the detective's voice.

'His name? Which one, he's had so many over the years, but I know him best as Adam.'

'Adam what?' The other woman snapped, she was obviously another Detective. Given her age, and the look Detective Beckett gave her, they were probably the boss.

'Take your pick. He's used Adam, or something like it, for a very long time.' He wasn't trying to be difficult, but he could give them everything. First of all none of them would believe a word of it and second he didn't know how much of the truth his friend wanted him to go into.

Still he could see he wasn't giving them the answers they wanted. 'You have to understand, the world is not entirely what you think. There are lots of things that sound impossible, right up until you see it with your own two eyes.' Joe put his stick on the counter and sighed. 'I first found out about this when I was back in 'Nam. My CO was one of those marines that lived for war. He couldn't wait to be in the thick of it, still back then he was a good man. He just lost his way later on.' He shook his head sadly remembering his old friend and how he ended up nothing more than a killer.

'Mr Dawson?' the Author asked.

Joe chuckled. 'I am getting old, but I guess that's part of the problem.'

'Mr Dawson, if you can please get to the point before I arrest you for wasting police time.' the other woman snapped.

'There was an ambush. Officially I was the only survivor and dragged myself, without legs of course, through several miles of jungle. Got a medal out of it. The truth was my CO pulled me out of there. Even after taking at least half a mag from an AK-47. He just didn't die. He couldn't die. That's how I found out about them. They're called, believe it or not, Immortals.'

That got their attention. 'You've got to be joking.' Detective Beckett exploded while the author openly laughed. 'Immortals? What's that even mean?'

'It means Detective that they don't die. Not from gun shots, injury, disease, even age. Some have lived for thousands of years, not looking a day older than you or Mr Castle.'

'A thousand years, and no one's heard of them?' He asked laughing. 'Good story, but you're going to have to do better than that.'

Joe shook his head. 'They've kept themselves secret, afraid of what people would think. Lots of them are legends, most forgotten by all but a few. Those of us who know about them and study Immortals are called Watchers.' he waited for the obvious Buffy joke. Instead just got a few raised eyebrows. 'Yeah, best guess that Whedon guy got lucky. Back before I retired we decided it was better to let it go, that way the wrong people hear about us we can use that show as a cover.'

'So let me get this straight; You are retired from a secret society that collects legends about people that can't die. How does this help us, and what's it got to do with Toni Nelson?'

'You should know, after all you were there when she fell out of the window.' Joe smirked back at the writer before reaching into his jacket. The detective had her gun up in a flash, but not quick enough to stop Joe from pulling out the file. 'Everything the Watchers had on Toni Nelson. Or if you prefer Annabel Long.'

He sat back as they opened it. 'You're saying this is real? Then how…?'

'Turns out there is one way to kill anything, even Immortals. Beheading. Of course even then you've got problem. Way we understand it, well there's something inside each of them. Something that keeps them going. They call it a Quickening. I'd call it a bottled up thunderstorm. Pop the cork and you've got one hell of a light show.'

They were still looking at the file, or unless Joe missed his guess the pictures he'd included. 'This can't be possible.'

'Afraid it is.' Methos said from the doorway that Joe had expertly forgotten to close.

* * *

><p>Alexis wasn't sure what woke her. Given the way she felt she couldn't have been asleep long. Checking her clock it had only been a couple of hours, but there wasn't much chance of her getting back to sleep.<p>

She'd been this way before. Her first day of collage, her first Date, that time Dad took her to see Star Wars in the theatre. She was just too wired to sleep. She had the world at her finger tips, how could she spend any time with her eyes closed.

She was a Tomorrow Person. She wanted to go surfing in Australia? All she had to do was grab a board and teleport over there. Skiing in Europe? She didn't even have to click her heels together. She could be swimming in Dubai, stop off in China for a takeaway on her way to get a tan in California and still be back home before the sun set.

More than that she could reach out, listen to people across the world. Hear their thoughts like other people heard conversations. Heal injuries with a touch and even move things with the power of her mind.

Most amazing of all, she wasn't alone.

After all those years hiding from everyone, even herself, all she had to do was be who she was meant to be. She was smart enough to know that her new friends were the exception and not the rule that didn't seem to matter. Of course there would people that were afraid of her and some of them might lash out in that fear, but she could take that. As long as her dad accepted her she could do anything.

As if summoned Alexis felt her Father was close by, downstairs. Yawning she dug into the closet where she had left some of her old clothes that Gram's hadn't thrown out.

Alexis wasn't sure how, but even if she couldn't read peoples minds she still had a good idea if someone was near. If she knew them well enough she could even sense who. As if idly she reached out. Kate was still there, so was Captain Gates as well as someone she didn't know. Picking what both looked most fashionable and functional she headed to meet them

She was almost at the top of the stairs when she felt something else. Hostility. There was something terribly wrong. Catching herself Alexis peaked out around the corner.

'I save your life and I can't stop by and ask for a cup of coffee?' The stranger at the door said sarcastically but Alexis's gut suddenly went cold. she couldn't read this man.

He was a blank space, an emptiness. It as just like what she had felt with Bracken, only a thousand times worse. And he was in their home!

* * *

><p>Methos stepped inside, keeping his hands in plain view. 'Is that what you want? A coffee?' Richard Castle asked incredulously.<p>

'No, never liked the stuff personally.' He admitted easily. 'Joe and I knew you'd never believe him. Even after what you've seen and that file, so I came. Partly to prove what we're telling you is true and partly so we can find out what the hell is going on around here.'

The woman with them had a look of utter confusion on her face. If the wind changed it would probably freeze like that. 'What are you talking about?'

'Antonia. As soon as Beckett and her team shot her out of a window she should have gotten out of town. Left New York and not come back. Instead she sticks around and even goes after Beckett. She was scared of something, or someone. Scared enough to risk exposing what we are to the police in a very public way.' Methos pointed out bluntly. 'Either she was willing to risk exposing us, which is bad news for everyone, or she had an ace up her sleeve. So the question is who hired her, and I'm willing to bet you detective know the answer.'

'What if I do?' Beckett asked, not lowering her gun.

'Then I keep out of their way. You don't live as long as I do without being careful.'

'And if they're like you?' Came a shaky voice to his left. Methos spun and saw a pretty young woman, with red hair, that was looking at him like he was a venomous snake.

'All the more reason to stay out of their way.'

'Alexis? What's wrong?' Mr Castle asked, he was obviously her father and just as obviously concerned at the look of shear terror on her face.

'He's like Bracken… I can't, I can't sense him. It's like he's not there.' Methos didn't know what she was talking about, but then, still looking at him, she raised a shaky hand and pointed at Joe. 'But I can sense him. I know who you are. I know. I know.'

'Who is he Alexis?'

'He's Death.' She said, her voice breaking. 'The fourth horseman, Death on a horse…'

Methos winced. 'Well, this is awkward.'

End Chapter Thirteen


	14. Chapter 14

Arc of the Curve  
>Chapter Fourteen<p>

The news showed the same three films over and over again. First was his speech, artfully presented, expertly written and performed with the sort of cool, calm, confidence that smoothed the rocky path to the most powerful house in the nation. Second was a repeat on the bombing of the Twelfth Precinct, emphasising the insultingly small casualties and boasting about the suspect they had caught incredibly fast.

He'd thought after all his earlier failures sub-contracting would finally get the job done, Kate Beckett and her team had an almost mystical amount of luck.

Third and finally was a report of what appeared to be an electrical explosion in an abandoned warehouse. He knew the signs of course, someone had taken a Quickening. Given the silence he'd gotten trying to contact his latest, most disappointing, employee he had a feeling he knew whose head had been taken. He'd spent decades planning for this. Hiding funding, altering records, hiding in plain sight. He'd even chosen to relocate to New York after the False Gathering, knowing that his fellow Immortals would avoid the place.

No. After all this time and effort he wasn't going to be undone by some lawyer and her detective daughter. Mortals with little mayfly lives, he was going to change the world and all they could be bothered with was a few little morals.

So far though nothing seemed to get this annoyance out of his way. He'd sent some of his best contract killers and they'd ended up dead. He'd tried subcontracting and that had proven to be a failure. That left two options. The first was stealth. Pull back, wait for things to calm down and try manoeuvring her into a trap later. The problem with that was he was on strict timetable and this particular stone in his shoe needed to be removed before he could move on. The other was strike now, while the iron was still hot.

He needed to find someone to take over the job. Given his recent setbacks it was either going to have to be a lone psychopath or another contract job.

It was too soon to decide, but given how much time he had it looked like he'd have to talk to some of his less than savoury contacts.

* * *

><p>Joe blinked at the pale young woman standing at the top of the stairs. She was standing there in what could only be shock. There was no way she should have known that. 'How…?' he began to ask.<p>

'She's a mind leach Joe. Plucks the thoughts from your head as soon as you've had them.' Methos shook his head before stepping slowly away from her and the others. He wasn't quite inching to the door, but it was close. 'Should have guessed, well how could I?'

'Mind Leach?' Richard Castle asked.

'Psychic. Telepath. Mutant. Whatever you want to call it. She knew everything about both of us the moment you walked in Joe.'

'Why not you?' Detective Beckett asked. 'Why can't she read your mind?'

'Like Joe told you, I'm an Immortal, we're on a different wavelength.' He shrugged. 'I've met a couple like her, a long time ago. None of them looked quite so… heathy. Sorry.' Methos explained before shrugging, ambling over to the couch and throwing himself into it. 'They both died before they were twenty-five.'

'What?' The writer asked, terrified for his daughter.

Methos sighed. 'You read Asimov? You remember the Mule? both of them were kinda like that, only a lot more neurotic. I guess the gift of hearing peoples thoughts came with a physical weakness . They were tortured people I felt sorry for them. The first one I met lived alone. She'd been driven out of her home by her people, her family even lead the charge. She ran before they could stone her to death as a witch. She was half crazy with loneliness, but couldn't block out peoples thoughts,no matter how far a way they were. Way she described it it was like having people whispering just on the edge of her hearing.

'I spent a few weeks with her, just long enough to watch her die. She had a stroke in her sleep and never woke up.' He said sadly.

'The other one didn't have a clue what was happening. At least not until I told them. He was just a kid locked in Bedlam for claiming he could hear voices. The poor boy was sick all the time. He couldn't even shake off a cold. Ended up dying from half a dozen different diseases that his body just couldn't fight.'

The girl had made it to the bottom of the stairs, her eyes never leaving Methos. 'Only two, in five thousand years?'

'Five thousand and change.' Methos admitted easily. 'That's how old I am. It's a little hard to get the exact date, the calendar's changed so often it could be anything close to that.' Joe wasn't sure why he was being so open with complete strangers, then it came to him.

The girl spun to face the old Watcher almost instantly 'He's just trying to distract us!' she gasped. 'Stop us asking about what he did, who he really is!'

'Damn.' Joe winced. Methos was right, he might as well be an open book to her. 'Sorry buddy.'

'Not your fault Joe. It's like when someone tells you not to think about apples. What you don't want to think about is exactly do.' he shrugged.

'Who is he Alexis, really?' Detective Beckett asked pointedly, not letting the discussion get side tracked again.

'Can I?' Methos asked. 'It's not that I'm going to lie, just kinda need some context.'

'How can you put… that in context?' the young woman asked, shocked. Joe wasn't sure either. Just how did you spin being one of the most famous mass murders in all of history.

Methos shrugged again, like it didn't matter. 'Well you have to remember it was a different time. Very different. We're talking four thousand years ago and yes I am as old as I say. The thing of it is back then there was only two ways to live; scrounging in the dirt and dust to grow what you could, or hunting and raiding to take what you needed. There was no trade, no treaties. Most of all there were no laws, no police or judges. We all made our own rules, some for good, others not. But back then morals were more likely to get in the way than help. The only choice was hunt or be hunted. So me and three other immortals teamed up. We became a raiding party and took what we needed, what we wanted. After all who was going to stop us? When the four of us rode in to your village you either gave us everything or we took it.' he admitted without a moments pause. You had to know him to hear even the tiniest regret and even then Joe wasn't sure if he was just imagining it.'

Methos stood up. 'We were very good, or should that be bad, at it. There were lots of other raiders out there, but we were the ones that made grown men tremble. That might sound cliché today, but we were the first to do do that. We became stories, eventually legends, and legends tend to live on. So thousands of years later some clerics remembered the stories that were told about us and wrote them into a book. Saying that our riding again would be a sign that the world was ending. The book was read by a lot of people and the story spread. People still know it today. 'He laughed lightly. 'Johnny Cash even wrote song about me once. That's the truth and that's who I am, or was.'

The Captain, who had been silent until now looked at him, the blood rushing from her face. 'What book?' she asked in a shaky voice.

'Well it's more like a compendium. Several books in one. The one my brothers was mentioned in was just a little part of the whole thing. I think the guy who wrote it just wanted to spice things up a little to be honest.'

'Revelations.' Alexis said softly. 'He's talking about the book of Revelations in the Bible. He was the Fourth Horseman.'

'Context, context is important.' Methos insisted. 'Now yes, I did ride a pale horse and a few people did die but like I said everything was exaggerated.'

'You… You've got to be kidding me.' The writer gasped while the detective just looked extremely skeptical.

'No. It's the truth.' Joe told them. 'What do we do now buddy?'

'Not a clue. Even for me this is a first.'

The Detective shook her head, as if trying to rearrange her thoughts. 'Let me get this straight. You're a five thousand year old immortal, who used to be the angel of death, and you saved me from another immortal who was was trying to kill me. Why? That's what I still don't understand, why?'

Methos smirked. 'That's whatI want to know. Why the hell did Antonia risk everything, risk revealing our existence to world, just to kill you?'

* * *

><p>Alexis looked back and forth, trying desperately to think of something to do. Over the last few days she'd gotten used to knowing what was going on before anyone else. Opening her mind had made everything so much easier, only now she felt completely lost. She had thought that no matter how weird things got she had the upper hand. In the last half hour everything she'd ever believed had been turned upside down, again. Immortals, the Fourth horseman being real was almost too much and then there was the Game.<p>

Joe couldn't hide it, Methos was right, she could read the old man like a book and the things she saw terrified her. Immortals, the Game, Ahriman. Suddenly the world was a lot stranger than it was supposed to be.

As Kate and the ancient immortal tried to come up with some sort of rational explanation she wondered if she should call on the others, see if they knew anything when she remembered something. 'Guys, how many Immortals are there?'

'Huh?' Kate asked, confused.'

'How many?'

Joe Dawson scratched his beard. 'We honestly don't know. The Watchers have a hundred or so on the books, but they're nowhere near complete.'

'Could there be another one in New York?'

'Possibly, but most avoid big cities.' Dawson admitted and she instantly knew why. They did it to avoid triggering a Gathering. Again she shuddered at the idea.

'There is one I know of.' Methos announced quietly. 'She… She doesn't like me very much. I like to keep track of where she is, so we don't run into each other.'

Dawson could only think of one person that fit that description. As she heard who they were it was all Alexis could do not to throw up. 'Why?' Her father asked

'Because, remember when I couldn't read Bracken? It's the same with him.' She pointed at the monstrous man. 'He wasn't like the others. He was like him.'

There was a deadly silence as Kate, Alexis's dad and Captain Gates looked at each other. Any number of curse words running through their heads as they realised what that could mean.

Methos, though, had another question. 'Others, what do you mean others.'

Trying not to show how absolutely terrified she was of him Alexis stood up straight. 'I'm not the only mind leach. There are others like me, lots of others. We call ourselves the Tomorrow People.' He wasn't the only one with world shattering knowledge.

At first she was glad to see him looked shocked, then she realised that wasn't a good thing. 'What… what did you call yourself?'

'Tomorrow People. Why?' Kate asked, trying to read his body language but she was having as much luck as Alexis.

The five thousand year old man looked at her, as if studying Alexis right down to her toenails. Not even glancing at his friend he asked Dawson; 'Joe, you ever heard of that before.'

'Tomorrow people? No why.'

'Think Joe! Think hard.' He snapped back. 'In all your time researching you never heard those words in connection with a group?'

Alexis could see this was important, so could Dawson, but the old blues player was drawing a blank. 'No, he hasn't.' She told him. 'Why?'

'It's old, part of a prophecy. I never believed it, I don't think anyone ever did.' Methos was on his feet, pacing back and forth. 'Damn. Damn!' he swore. 'One coincidence too many. There's only one person I can think of that could remember it and she's the very person I try to avoid.'

'You can't. She'd take your head as soon as look at you.' Dawson warned

'Then I guess I'll have to talk fast then won't I. Stay here Joe, find out who this Bracken is. I'll be back.'

'Hold on, you're not going anywhere.' Kate snapped. 'Not until I get some proper answers. If Bracken hired Toni Nelson as an assassin, knowing that she was like you, this has got to be bigger than just trying to silence me. He could have hired anyone and not risked revealing anything about this. What is he really up to? What is going on?'

'The Game.' Alexis said, her mind racing. 'If Bracken is like him and becomes President he'll be untouchable. He'll even be out of the Game.'

'Wait, Bracken. As in candidate for President of the United States William Bracken. Bookies favourite for the most powerful person in the world?' Dawson tried to get his prosthetic legs back under him. 'He can't be an Immortal. That's breaking the rules.'

'Bracken doesn't care about rules.' Kate said darkly.

'Wait, back up. What Game?' Alexis's dad asked and she almost swore. She knew from Dawson how important the Game was and how it had to be kept secret.

She quickly made a decision. 'I need to talk to Mr Dawson, in private. We need to compare notes.' She pointed at Methos. 'He needs to get hold of his… friend. Find out what she knows about Bracken. Dad, detective Beckett, you get hold of the boys and bring them up to speed. Captain, can you run interference, keep the investigation off us?'

'Yes ma'm' Methos smirked.

'You're not giving orders young lady.' Captain Gates snapped. 'I'm still in command of this investigation.'

'Captain, by the time you look at this objectively and get your head around what we're dealing with we won't have time to do anything.' Dawson explained, swinging around the chair. 'Now if this young lady really can read minds she has everything we know in one place. That means she has a better idea than any of us.'

'Except for me.'

'Except for Methos.' Alexis agreed. 'And I really don't want that in my head. Sorry.'

He smirked back. 'Don't be.'

'What I don't get is why do you you want to talk to him, privately?' Kate asked looking hard at the former Watcher.

Alexis tried to think of how to explain it. 'I know what he knows, but a lot of its secret. I need to know how much I can tell you and the others, because I can't tell you it all.'

'Why not?'

'Because, Mr Castle, you really don't need to know and it would just worry you.'

'It can't be much worse than what I'm thinking right now.' Alexis's dad shot back.

Alexis shook her head. 'It is.'

* * *

><p>Joe followed the young lady into what he was told was Mr Castle's Office. 'So… I'm Joe Dawson.' he introduced himself, knowing how pointless it was. 'Ex-Watcher and owner of Joe's Blues Bar in Seacover<p>

'Alexis Castle.' she offered her hand. 'Collage student and Tomorrow Person.'

With a smirk he shook it. 'So you know everything I do, about immortals and what's out there?' She nodded sharply. 'So what do we do about this?'

'We can't tell my dad, or Kate… Detective Beckett. If they find out about the Game or things like Ahriman they'll never sleep at night. I don't think I'm going to.'

Joe laughed, 'Trust me kid; this stuff, it ages you. You can't keep it bottled in.'

'That's just it, like I said there are others. I've got to tell them something, but how much depends on what you're going to tell the Watchers.'

'You're worried about the Hunters?'

'Arn't you?' She shot back. 'Assassins that kill people they think are threats to humanity. Rogue Watchers with access to all their resources and knowledge with no morals or oversight. How long after they know about us will they find out who we are? Will they decide we're a threat? How long until they come for us in the middle of the night?'

The girl was panicking. 'I promise I won't tell them. Watchers watch Immortals, Now unless you can't die you're not part of the Game.'

After looking at him for a long moment she took a breath. 'Thank you. If I tell the others about the Game, whats at stake…'

'They can't get involved.' Joe snapped.

She nodded quickly. 'Only enough to keep out of the way. We don't want to be involved. It's not our game.'

'I'm sorry, but in the end I think we're all part of the game. Not all of us know it.'

* * *

><p>Methos hitched his coat up over his shoulders to hide the shudder of another Immortal's quickening. He recognised it almost instantly, just as he was sure so did they. The lift stopped and the doors opened, letting the handful of other passengers out in front of him.<p>

It was a news room for one of New Yorks lesser know newspapers. Mostly local news with a few things that might have national importance. The fact it was still running was thanks to their editor and owner. Not knowing what to expect Methos headed to the Reception desk. 'Hello, My name is Adam Pearson. I need to talk with the editor, Miss Grant. She knows I'm here.'

The familiar Quickening was suddenly a lot stronger. Knowing she was right behind him he turned to face her. Before he could open his mouth the slap she gave him nearly knocked his teeth lose.

The entire news room stopped as Methos had to catch himself on the table. 'What are you doing here? How dare you…' the woman known as Catherine Grant spat angrily.

'Good to see you too.' Methos interrupted as he pulled himself up. 'Something's happening, something… Important. You're the only person in the world that might be able to help.'

'What makes you think I would do anything, anything to help you?' She asked, the hate dripping from her voice.

'Who said anything about trying to help me.' he shot back.

For a long moment she glared at him, while Methos was painfully aware of his stinging cheek and the fact that they were the centre of attention for the whole floor. 'You have five minutes. After that I want you out of this building.' Cassandra told him and Methos had a horrible certainty that the only reason she didn't take his head there and then was there were too many witnesses.

Wasn't love grand?

End Chapter Fourteen

Authors Note  
>Catherine Grant, AKA Cat Grant, AKA Cassandra the witch woman, is a long story for poor Methos, which I'm going into next chapter. I just want to assure readers this in't a fourth show I'm crossing over with, just a little in joke I hope some people might get. I could have Called her Elizabeth Lochley, but I thought this name was better suited.<p> 


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